Sealed Wings
by NinthFeather
Summary: Sakura's memories have been sealed and the only one who can help her is a boy she can't remember. Now she'll need help from two strangers to save him. TRC AU. SakuXSyao, KuroXTomo
1. Chapitre 1: Lost

_Author's note: This is an alternate universe version of TRC that stars Sakura instead of Syaoran. Just to clarify, this is a different universe entirely, not just a different dimension. In this universe there is only one dimension, and only one of each person. No interdimensional counterparts. The story is a little similar to the original but the ending is pretty different. Well, at least I think it is…I haven't been able to finish the manga yet. All of the clothing appeared, or had something similar to it appear, in TRC or xxxholic. See if you can find them all! There will be lots of SakuXSyao and possibly some KuroXTomo. Please enjoy._

Chapitre 1: Lost

The city of Marielle was alive with sound and steam. Steam-powered cars drove over wide cobbled streets and between red and brown brick buildings with their window shutters flung wide open. The red smokestacks of a factory framed the sunrise. The sidewalks were flooded with people, men in suit jackets and long coats and women in flowing dresses and hats adorned with flowers.

Among the crowd, a single girl stuck out. She was young, somewhere in her teens, with half-open eyes the color of leaves in spring. Two long strands of brown hair rested on her collarbone, but the rest of her hair was came no lower than her chin. Some of her bangs stuck up, making her look as though she'd just awoken. She wore a long green sweater, and a pale green dress with white edging over it. A thick headband of the same color rested on her hair. The skirt of the dress brushed the street in the back, but in the front it didn't even come to her knees. Her boots were also pale green edged with white, and had cuffs made of the same dark green material that formed the sweater. She wandered the streets, a blank look in her eyes, as though she was searching for something, but didn't know what.

She stumbled slightly, and caught herself against the door of a street-side shop. She more or less fell inside. With a look of bewilderment on her face, she glanced around at the shelves of dry goods around her.

The shop, was small, but well kept, its wooden shelves stocked with paper and other supplies. Light filtered in through a large picture window next to the door. The counter on the far side of the store was home to a large brass cash register.

A tall man with ice-blue eyes and shaggy, pale blond hair leaned against the counter. He was wearing a long, cream-colored coat over a grey vest and white dress shirt, with grey pants.

"Welcome to the shop," the man said. "Can I help you?"

The girl took two tentative steps forward and collapsed. The man caught her with ease, and gave her a sideways look.

"What on earth happened to you?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

* * *

The girl woke up in a bed in a small room. She had no idea where she was, but the sun streaming through the window was pleasant, and the room was warm. Someone had laid a quilt on the bed.

"You're awake," someone said.

The girl looked up and saw a blond man. She had only a blurry memory of seeing him earlier.

"You're in the back room of the dried goods store I own," the man said. "My name is Fai D. Fluorite. Can I ask your name?"

The girl thought. "I…I don't know," she said.

A shadow passed over Fai's face. "I was afraid of that. There is a mark on your back in the shape of a set of wings. It started glowing after you passed out. I think it might be a seal."

The girl cocked her head to one side. "A seal?"

"I believe someone has sealed your memory," Fai said. "Do you remember anything?"

The girl concentrated. "N-no," she said after a few moments.

"Well, we have at least one clue," Fai said. "Your clothing. It's not from around here, so you can't be from Marielle. Also, there are those," he continued, tapping a small metal plate which the girl noticed, for the first time, was on the sleeve of her dress. There was another on the other sleeve, identical in its small size and position parallel to the edge of the sleeve.

"There's something written on them," the girl said in surprise. She read hesitantly, "Sa…ku…ra. Both of them say that."

She looked up at Fai. "Could that be my name?"

"It might be," Fai said. "Do you mind if I call you that for now."

The girl nodded and decided she liked her new name. Sakura. It seemed right, somehow.

Something tickled at the back of her mind. Something very important. She was looking for something… or someone. She couldn't remember.

"I feel like I was looking for something," Sakura said. "I can't remember, though."

"I'll help you, if I can," Fai said.

"Thank you," Sakura said, smiling.

Fai smiled back, unable to help himself. The girl's warmth was infectious. It might be a good thing, he though, if he spent more time with someone like her.

Sakura had insisted that she be allowed to help in the shop, to repay Fai for allowing her to stay. She was a little sleepy, but she wanted to do everything she could. Fai had given her a new dress, a pink one with three-quarter sleeves and an ankle-length skirt. Both the sleeves and the skirt ended in ruffles. The neckline was square and consisted of a ribbon edged with lace on both sides and tied into a bow in the center. A rosette lay on top of the bow, perfectly matching the rosette and bow on her hat, which Fai had called a "cloche".

"Have a nice day," she said, as a girl in a school uniform rushed out of the store.

"You're doing very well, Sakura-chan," Fai said as he restocked the shelf behind the counter.

"Thank you, Fai-san," Sakura said happily.

A tall man walked into the store. He had spiky black hair and eyes as red as sunset. A longsword hung at his hip, and a black trenchcoat spread out behind him like a cape.

"Sakura-san?" the man asked in surprise.

* * *

NinthFeather: And that's the first chapter. I know it's short, but that was the best place to cut off. R&R please.

Mokona: Where's Mokona?

NinthFeather: You aren't in this story.

Mokona: But Mokona is popular!

NinthFeather: *sighs*

Fai: See you next chapter! Kuro-rin will be there, too!

Kurogane: WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!

Sakura: Please regard us kindly!


	2. Chapitre 2: Visit

Chapitre 2: Visit

"Do you know me?" Sakura asked.

"Huh?" the man asked.

"Let me explain," Fai said. "The young lady has had her memories sealed, so if you've met before, she won't remember."

"Her memories sealed?" the man said. "You expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth," Fai said.

"But just a few days ago, I saw you with that boy and you were fine…" the man said.

"A boy?" Sakura asked. This felt important. Was the boy who she was looking for?

"Yeah, some kid named Syaoran," the man said. "He said you were traveling together."

Sakura felt warm as soon as the man said the name. It was as unfamiliar to her as any other, but her body seemed to remember it.

"Syaoran?" she asked. It rolled off her tongue, as if she had said it many times before.

"He said the two of you were traveling together," the man said.

"Where did you meet them?" Fai asked.

"I'm a knight of Marielle," the man explained. "I was called to break up a fight, but Syaoran-kun had already taken care of it. That boy has potential…"

Fai cocked his head to one side, then to the other. "You don't look like a knight," he said.

"Look, if you got a problem with me…." the man threatened.

"I'm sure Fai-san didn't mean it as an insult!" Sakura broke in quickly. "It's very nice to meet you…"

"Kurogane," the man said.

"It's very nice to meet you, Kurogane-sama," Sakura said.

"You don't have to call me "sama"," Kurogane said quickly. "I'm not anyone important."

"But you're a knight," Sakura began.

"Just Kurogane-san is fine," Kurogane said, ending the discussion.

"So, Kuro-rin, can you take us to where you met Sakura and Syaoran?" Fai asked. "Maybe we'll be able to figure out who Sakura-chan is."

"Why should I…WAIT, WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Kurogane sputtered.

Sakura looked at Fai, eyes wide. "Do you think we might actually be able to figure it out? That would be wonderful!"

Kurogane sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, we can go," he said.

"You're such a nice person, Kuro-rin!" Fai said jubilantly.

"SHUT UP!" Kurogane growled.

Sakura danced along the cobbled streets, humming. Her bangs, and the skirt of her dress, bounced in rhythm with her steps. She looked up at the wide blue sky and decided it was as happy as she was. Five minutes from now, she could have a clue to who she was. What could be better?

Kurogane and Fai followed a few paces behind her, the noontime sun casting long shadows behind them.

"Doesn't take much to make her happy, does it?" Kurogane observed.

"I suppose not," Fai said lightly.

Kurogane gave him a searching look. "You're a magician, right?"

"You can tell that easily?" Fai asked, smiling widely.

"I've met others. You're as annoying as they were," Kurogane said in answer.

"Is that so?" Fai asked with the same wide, irritating smile.

"So, if you're a magician, why don't you just break the seal on the girl's memories?" Kurogane asked.

Fai's face became serious. "Only the person who created a seal can break it," he said, and then the smile returned. "Besides, I haven't used magic in quite a while."

"Can't you at least try to break it?" Kurogane asked.

"If I tried, I might end up hurting her."

"It wasn't just her memories that were sealed, was it?" Kurogane asked.

"No," Fai said, the serious look returning. "That seal is something else. Her heart, her soul, any magical abilities she might have, and her memories, all of that is sealed."

"Her soul is sealed?" Kurogane asked. "Shouldn't she be in a coma or something, then?"

"The seal is incomplete," Fai said. "She has access to enough of her heart and soul to be fine for now. But if it's left alone long enough, she could die."

"And you haven't told her any of this?" Kurogane asked.

A gentle breeze blew across the street and played in Fai's hair. "If I could, I would like to keep her from worrying," he said.

Sakura stopped at the corner of the street. "Which way now, Kurogane-san?" she asked.

"This is the place," Kurogane said.

* * *

_Kurogane walked down the street, every muscle tensed. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword._

"_This is the place," he said to himself, arriving at a fairly ordinary street corner. A gas light illuminated the surrounding buildings, which loomed above the tall man._

"_Where's the fight?" Kurogane wondered aloud._

_At that moment, he sensed something coming toward him. He jumped out of the way, just in time to avoid a man in a baggy jacket sailing through the air. He smashed into the building behind Kurogane as the knight looked on in surprise. _

"_Sorry," someone said._

_Kurogane looked in the direction of the voice and saw an oddly dressed teenage boy standing in the middle of the street. He had brown hair and eyes, and a determined expression. A number of unconscious men who Kurogane recognized as gang members were sprawled on the street around him._

"_What happened?" Kurogane asked._

"_They were trying to harass Sakura," the boy said. "I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble. My name is Syaoran."_

_Kurogane saw a girl with brown hair peeking out from behind one of the buildings. Sakura, he guessed. He wondered what her relationship with the boy was._

"_I'm Kurogane, a knight of Marielle," Kurogane said. "I was here to break up a fight, but it appears that was pointless. You took pretty good care of things by yourself, kid."_

"_Thank you," Syaoran said with a bow. "Maybe we'll meet again."_

_Kurogane bowed as well, and left. "Not likely," he muttered as he walked off._

* * *

Sakura wandered the street corner, searching for signs that she and the boy had been there. No one was around, so she couldn't ask if they'd seen her before. Kurogane said she had been here before, and she believed him, but this place didn't seem particularly familiar. Of course, she had no memory. Maybe this had been her favorite place once. There was no way to know.

Somehow, in the back of her mind, she thought they would find Syaoran there, waiting for her beneath the lamppost with answers to all of her questions. She had tried very hard to remember him, but she couldn't. All she knew was what Kurogane had told her, which wasn't much. He had short brown hair, darker than hers, and brown eyes. It wasn't enough to let her picture him. Kurogane said he was probably her age. Had they been friends? Were they related? Kurogane seemed to think they were close. But if they were close, why couldn't she remember him? She clenched her fists at her sides. Would she ever remember?

"Hello, children," someone said.

Sakura turned around and saw a woman standing behind her.

The woman was tall and pale, with eyes that shone red in the afternoon light. A small hat with a stuffed bird perched on its rim balanced on her jet-black updo. Her dress was high-collared and frilly, with a large bustle on the back of the skirt. She wore gloves, and carried a black umbrella. The sound of her black shoes against the pavement echoed in the empty street.

She reached out a black-gloved hand and lifted Sakura's chin until the young girl was looking straight into her eyes.

"You have a wish, correct?" she asked.

* * *

Ninth Feather: Here it is, Chapitre 2! Please R&R!

Kurogane: Why do you keep ending chapters with cliffhangers?

NinthFeather: Because if I did, people like you with short attention spans wouldn't finish it. *pulls down flow chart. Chart reads 'no cliffhangers= people with short attention spans won't finish fanfic= they won't review=NinthFeather gets depressed= has emotional breakdown=millions of dollars in therapy*

Fai: Nice chart.

NinthFeather: Thank you. *blushes furiously*

Kurogane: Are you saying I have a short attention span? *glances over to the left, where Syaoran is fighting Seishiro, who is not supposed to be in this fanfic to begin with* Look, there's a fight! *runs off with sword drawn*

NinthFeather: Seishiro-san! Get out of here before my fanfic gets emo!

Seishiro: But Syaoran-kun and I were just having a rematch. *smiles*

NinthFeather: Don't make me write you into this thing and then kill you off. I can do that, you know! *runs off after Seishiro*

Sakura: Please read the next chapter!


	3. Chapitre 3: Witch

Chapitre 3: Witch

Sakura nearly tripped in trying to get away from the strange woman.

"Yuuko-san?" Fai and Kurogane asked in unison.

"Good afternoon, Fai, Kurogane," Yuuko said.

Sakura stared at her companions. "You know her?" she asked.

"They have done business with me in the past," Yuuko explained. "Now, about your wish. There is a person you would like to meet, isn't that right?"

"Y-yes," Sakura stuttered.

"I can help you in your quest, if you wish," Yuuko said. "But there is a price."

Sakura's head was spinning. This woman had appeared from nowhere and started talking about wishes. Now she was offering to help Sakura find Syaoran, but for a price. Sakura wasn't sure she should trust this person. At the same time, though, she wanted to see Syaoran. Even without remembering him, or knowing who he was to her, she wanted to see him, more than she wanted anything.

"If the price is something I can pay, I'll pay it," Sakura said.

"Very well," Yuuko said, the shadow of a smile on her face. "Your price is your luck."

"My luck?" Sakura asked.

"You may not fully realize it, but your luck is the reason you are alive right now," Yuuko said. "You passed out not long after you lost your memory, correct? The fact that you were in Fai's shop at the time was incredibly fortunate. If you had passed out on the street, you would have been in a lot of danger. Your luck is what brought you here. Will you sacrifice it on Syaoran's behalf?"

"I will," Sakura said.

"Your journey will not be an easy one," Yuuko continued. "Some along your path will help you, but others will try to prevent you from reaching your goal. And at the end of your journey, there is one who you will have to face who is my equal in power. Syaoran has been captured by this person."

"Syaoran's a prisoner?" Sakura asked. Some part of her was crying out in panic and worry.

"Yes, but only that," Yuuko said. "The one who holds him cannot touch him."

Sakura was quickly realizing that Yuuko didn't give straight answers.

"You said you would help me on my journey," Sakura said. "How?"

"I will give you three items," Yuuko said. She pulled a small mirror out of a pocket in her dress. "This is the first."

Sakura took it. It felt cool in her hands. The mirror was set in silver, with an odd circular design on its back.

"That mirror will allow you to contact me," Yuuko said. "As for the other two items…."

Yuuko glanced toward Kurogane and Fai, who stiffened under her gaze.

"You both owe me a debt," Yuuko said. "Kurogane, I sealed for you the monsters which plagued your home country. Fai, I sealed Ashura-ou and saved his life. For those wishes, you each paid me a promise. Now, I wish to collect."

"You will accompany Sakura on her journey," Yuuko continued. "You are now responsible for her. If she dies, the wishes I granted you will be undone. When she reaches Syaoran, your obligation ends."

Sakura beamed. She wouldn't have to go alone!

Fai looked over at Sakura and smiled- not his usual brilliant smile, but something softer and kinder. Sakura thought it was probably the first time he had smiled and really meant it since they had met. "I would be happy to help."

Kurogane glowered. "I only serve Princess Tomoyo," he said bluntly.

"Thank you for being so loyal, Kurogane," a high voice said.

A small girl with eyes as deeply purple as gems stepped out from the shadows behind Yuuko. Her onyx-black hair spilled from a violet bow, past her white lace collar and onto her plum-colored dress.

"Princess Tomoyo!" Kurogane exclaimed.

To his surprise, the princess rushed straight past him and up to Sakura.

Tomoyo clasped her hands around Sakura's and said excitedly, "You're the cutest person I have ever met!"

"Ehhhhh!" Sakura asked. Her head was beginning to spin.

Tomoyo looked over at Kurogane with an expression that could force pigs to fly. "You will travel with her. That's an order."

Kurogane muttered something under his breath.

Tomoyo glared at him, and he stopped.

"Thank you very much!" Sakura said, giving him the biggest smile she could. She couldn't do much more to thank him- not as she was now, without even memories to tell her who she was.

"Don't make a big deal out of it," he said, running a hand through his hair and looking away. "Geez."

"You are so cute!" Tomoyo exclaimed. Sakura noticed that the girl was still clasping her hands and abrubtly shuffled backwards. Princess Tomoyo seemed nice, but Sakura barely knew her!

"Now that that's settled, I recommend that you return home," Yuuko said briskly. "It would be for the best if you were to wait until tomorrow to begin traveling."

"Thank you very much!" Sakura said to the witch with a bow. "It was very fortunate that we were able to meet you."

"Fortunate?" Kurogane grumbled under his breath.

Yuuko ignored him. "It was no coincidence that we met. There is no such thing as coincidence. There is only hitzuen."

"Hitzuen?" Sakura asked.

"Like destiny," Fai explained.

"Oh," Sakura said. She wondered why she could remember what that meant, but not anything about herself.

"I have something else to tell you," Yuuko said. "Someone paid a price so that I could tell you this, so listen carefully."

Sakura nodded.

"There is a game of chess," Yuuko said, her eyes boring into Sakura. "Two people play it, but they play it with the same pieces. There is only one queen, and only one king. There is only one bishop and one knight. The rook has been taken off of the board because it is not needed."

"There are many pawns in this game. And either player can move them in any direction. The players can also move the other pieces. But they cannot know which player their movements will benefit. One player may move a piece and find that their move has helped their opponent. The pieces also have the ability to move themselves. The game results from the decisions made by the players and the pieces."

"That is all I can tell you for the price paid," Yuuko said. "If you can understand it, it may help you. Even if you cannot, it still may. I wish you three the best of luck on your journey."

And with that, she turned around and disappeared into the shadows she had emerged from.

Sakura stood in the pool of light beneath the gas lamp, clutching the mirror Yuuko had given her to her chest. Everything had happened so fast. She still couldn't remember anything about herself. But now she had one thing to hold on to, one thing that she knew. She was the one who was going to save Syaoran.

A man sat in a large castle, watching an image of Sakura in a large mirror that hung on the wall. His black hair was shot through with white, and formed sideburns on both sides of his craggy face. A monocle obscured his right eye, and he wore a black robe.

"The witch has made her move," he said to the girl standing next to him.

The girl was tall and shapely, and wore a black dress criss-crossed by white, vine-like swirls. Two small buns perched atop her head, while the rest of her hair cascaded down her back in black curls.

"What will you do now?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment. "I will wait," he said, "for now."

"Is that wise?"

"I have already captured the king," he said. "Why should I be worried?"

"That is true," the girl said. She stared up at the gigantic tank behind her. Shaped like a cylinder, it radiated power. A band around the middle of it was covered in seals, each shaped like a bat. The water inside the tank bubbled as though it was boiling, but the tank was cool to the touch. A boy was suspended in the tank, every inch of his skin covered in batlike seals. He was about Sakura's age, and his hair was short, and a little darker than hers.

* * *

NinthFeather: It's starting to get good, huh? Please R&R!

Sakura: I'm going to find Syaoran!

Tomoyo: Sakura is my heroine!

Fai: This is fun!

Kurogane: Why are you all so $% cheerful all the time!

NinthFeather: Language, Kuro-puu.

Kurogane: WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!

Fai: She called you Kuro-puu, Kuro-puu!

Tomoyo: Please read the next chapter!


	4. Chapitre 4: Awake

_Author's Note: Gome ne for the wait! Sakura's dress for this chapter is actually from a Valentine's Day card celebrating the release of Volume 3, which was reprinted in the second CHARACTer GuiDE. Only part of it was shown, so the rest is from my imagination. I wanted Sakura to wear a dress that she could move freely in, without standing out in a early 20th__ century steampunk-type setting like Marielle. To those of you who wanted Tomoyo to come along, I'm sorry, but she needs to stay with Amaterasu-sama and rule the kingdom. She'll show up again, though!_

Chapitre 4: Awake

The next morning, Sakura woke up the second that sunlight peeked through the window of her little room.

It had only been two days, hadn't it? Two days since she arrived at Fai's shop, with no memory of herself or her life. Now, she had a purpose. She was going to save Syaoran from the person who had captured him. Though she had no idea who that person was, or even who Syaoran was, really. It didn't matter. She had decided to do it, and she would, no matter what.

She began looking through the chest of drawers that Fai had put in her room, looking for something practical. She knew that, even though this was her journey, she might not be able to do very much. She had no combat skills, and no magical powers- or if she did have them, she had no memory of them. She still wanted to do her best, though. If she could help, even a little, it might ease Fai and Kurogane's burdens.

She'd noticed, of course. That behind Kurogane's gruffness and Fai's smiles, there was pain. She knew asking outright wouldn't do anything. But if she could do things for them, even small ones, she might be able to make them a little happier.

She put on a dress she hadn't worn yet. It was a deep brown that made her think of that wonderful dessert Fai had given her the last night- chocolate, he had called it. Pink-and-brown striped ribbon over pink ruffles edged the neckline, as well as the sleeves and the skirt. A similar ribbon, but without the frills, was tied around the waist of the dress, the bow resting above her left thigh. The sleeves were three-quarter length, while the skirt only reached her knees. Happily, she noticed pockets in the skirt, and slipped Yuuko's mirror into the one on the right.

She examined herself in the mirror that hung on the door, then put on a pair of pink tights, and brown Mary Jane shoes. Something was still missing, though. With a start, she noticed a hairpin lying on the dresser. It was a cluster of cloth rosettes sewn onto a circle of ruffled pink material. A pink-and-brown striped bow hung from behind the rosettes. Beside the hairpin was a strip of the pink-and-brown ribbon. Sakura carefully put the hairpin in her hair, and tied the ribbon in a bow around her neck. She felt pretty. But the dress was short enough to run in if necessary. It was a perfect traveling outfit.

She pulled out Yuuko's mirror and smiled at her reflection, then put it back and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

The sun was already out in full force when Fai woke up. It filled his room, which, while larger than Sakura's, was just as bare. A brass coat rack stood in one corner, but it was the only spot of color in the room. Everything else was plain and white.

The sun flooded the room. Fai lifted his arm over his eyes to block it out, but it was still almost blindingly bright. He grimaced, allowing his normal mask to drop in private.

This was a bad idea. There weren't words for how bad. Sakura had problems of her own. The chance that he would bring misfortune to her, the same way he had to everyone else he'd ever been close to, was too great. He couldn't let himself get close to her. Even if her infectious warmth made him feel like smiling for real for the first time in years.

He put on a dress shirt, a tan vest, and tan pants. Pulling a tan trenchcoat over his shoulders, he felt the weight of his decision to ask a favor of the witch. He knew that what he had done was selfish, but he had done it anyway.

He took his bowler from its usual perch atop the coat rack. There was no use in trying to get out of this. The balance of the universe had to be maintained. Fai had been granted a wish, and this was his payment. He just hoped Sakura wouldn't have to pay for it, too.

He walked out to the kitchen, an open room with an old-fashioned stove against one wall. A sink was against the opposite wall, and an oak table sat in the center of the room. Sakura was already up, and it seemed like she had been for a while. She was at the stove, stirring a pot.

"Good morning," Fai said brightly, trying to banish his earlier worries. They weren't Sakura's to worry about.

"Good morning, Fai-san," Sakura replied, spooning something out of the pot and into two bowls. She handed one to Fai. It was oatmeal.

Fai got two spoons from a drawer beneath the sink and gave one to Sakura. Experimentally, he ate a bite of oatmeal. It was just slightly sweeter than he was used to. Come to think of it, that shouldn't surprise him. It was just like the person who had made it.

"So, you're wearing the dress Tomoyo-chan gave you?" he asked.

"Princess Tomoyo gave me this?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Fai said. "She sent it to this shop a few weeks ago. I didn't understand why until you showed up."

Sakura cocked her head to one side.

"Tomoyo-chan has the ability to see the future in dreams," Fai said. "She must have forseen your coming in dreams, and made this for you."

"Do you think she had any dreams about Syaoran, or how I lost my memory?" Sakura asked.

"No," Fai said. "I think she would have told you if she had. She seems to be very fond of you."

Sakura blushed. "Do you think so?"

Fai nodded. Inwardly, he sighed.

_Don't get close to her_, he reminded himself.

It didn't take a dreem-seer to predict that it was going to be difficult.

Kurogane, dressed in the same trenchcoat, headed for the shop as early as he could. He didn't want to see Tomoyo before he left. He wasn't sure he could handle it. It wasn't that he was going to miss her or anything. He was just mad about last night. Yeah. That was it.

"_I cannot allow you to go with Sakura as you are," Tomoyo said. She and Kurogane were the only ones left in the alley._

"_What!" Kurogane demanded. "Don't you think I'm strong enough?"_

_Tomoyo gave him one of those smiles. The brilliant ones that left him paralyzed and speechless._

"_You are strong enough," she said calmly. "Too strong, in fact."_

_Kurogane gaped at her. The idea of being too strong was about as foreign to him as being too heavily armed._

"_I have not seen as much of your journey in dreams as I would like," Tomoyo continued. "However, I have seen this much. If, in the course of your journey, someone is killed, you will fail."_

"_Fai-san will not kill. Sakura-chan would never even think of it, and she does not have the skill to kill, even if she wanted to. You are different. If you feel it necessary, you will kill without hesitation."_

"_It is not enough for me to order you not to kill," Tomoyo said. "I must ensure that you cannot. And so, I am afraid I must do something you will not like."_

_She formed a triangle with her hands, her palms facing Kurogane. And then there was a mark on his forehead, in the shape of a feather, a traditional symbol of peace and protection in Marielle._

"_W-what did you just do?" Kurogane demanded._

"_I sealed your ability to kill," Tomoyo said. "No matter what you do, no matter how many times you attack someone, you will not kill them."_

"_Don't you trust me?" Kurogane asked._

"_I am doing this for you," Tomoyo said. "Please believe me. If I had not done this, you would be in terrible danger."_

_Kurogane stared at the ground, not trusting himself to answer. She had taken away more than his ability to kill, she had taken his pride. He should be protecting her, not the other way around._

"_Please forgive me, Kurogane," Tomoyo said softly._

_Kurogane said nothing, but he suddenly felt like a piece of dirt._

He wasn't going to miss her. He wasn't. She didn't appreciate his skill as a warrior. She was a spoiled little princess. Nothing more.

"Good morning, Kuro-puu!" Fai said brightly.

Kurogane glared at him.

"Thank you again for coming!" Sakura said.

Fai, oblivious to the waves of hate Kurogane was directing at him, led the way to a nearby car.

It was large and tan, with a bulky, rounded body. It had an open top, and the seats were upholstered with leather. Like all cars in Marielle, it was steam-powered, and pipes emerged from beneath the hood to vent the engine.

"What is this?" Kurogane asked.

"It's my car," Fai said, matter-of-factly. "What else would it be?"

"It's pretty!" Sakura exclaimed. "But what does it do?"

Kurogane couldn't help but be a little amused at Sakura's cluelessness.

"It gets us to where we're going," Fai explained. "Do you want to get in?"

Sakura nodded vigorously, and climbed into the back seat. Fai slipped into the driver's seat, while Kurogane took the passenger's seat.

"Let's go!" Fai said, turning the key in the ignition.

NinthFeather: Well, this story is taking longer than expected. I thought they'd be farther than this by now, but there's no rushing CLAMP characters, I guess. Please hang in there! The story will get more exciting soon. Please R&R!

Sakura: I think you're doing a great job!

NinthFeather: Thanks.

Kurogane: I think this whole story is stupid.

Fai: You're just mad that you aren't allowed to kill anyone, Kuro-rinta.

Kurogane: Shut it, wizard.

Sakura: Please don't fight…

NinthFeather: Oh, dear. I suppose I'd better stop them before we have a character death…

Tomoyo: And Kurogane wanted to know why I sealed his ability to kill…

*NinthFeather and Tomoyo head over to break up the fight*

Sakura: See you next chapter!


	5. Chapitre 5: Whereabouts

_Author's Note: Here's the new chapter! Please enjoy. I will try to get the chapters up in a timely way but I'm kind of busy, so…. I'll do my best, anyway._

Chapitre 5: Whereabouts

"Do you even know how to drive this thing?" Kurogane screamed as they rounded a corner, nearly hitting a lamppost.

Fai deliberately took his hand off of the wheel, just to annoy him. He covered his ears and said, "Geez, Kuro-pippi, you're so _loud_."

"Watch out!" Kurogane yelled, grabbing the wheel and making a hard left. The car swerved, and just barely missed a very scared-looking pedestrian.

"That's it," Kurogane said flatly. "Stop the car and get out of the driver's seat. I'm driving."

Fai smiled at him. "But you don't even know where we're going."

"How do you know where we're going, Fai-san?" Sakura asked. She was handling Fai's driving better than he had expected her to. She'd only screamed once.

"I don't know where Syaoran is," Fai said, "but I know someone who might."

"Who?" Kurogane asked. He looked disinterested, but Fai could see through him. He was as curious as Sakura.

"My friend Eiri-chan," Fai said. "She collects information. If anyone's seen Syaoran, she'll know about it."

"And what makes you think she'll tell us?" Kurogane asked, leaning back in his seat. "I've heard about her. Her help doesn't come cheap."

"Eiri-chan owes me a favor," Fai said.

You could almost see the question in Sakura's eyes. But Fai wasn't answering. His favor to Eiri was no deep, dark secret, but it was still a pretty long story. Fai kept to himself. He had since he'd left Sidone. He guessed that old habits died hard. Besides, telling Sakura about himself only made her more involved in his life. And all that would do was put her in danger.

Fai parked the car in front of a large house. Sakura knew that she was staring, but she didn't care. It was beautiful- with large windows that glowed in the afternoon light and little turrets that came off of the roof.

Two women rushed out of the house. "Fai-sama! Fai-sama!" they cheered in unison. "You came for a visit! You came! You came!"

One was petite, with blonde bangs and large eyes. The front section of her hair was pulled into two pigtails, one on each side of her face, while the rest was loose and reached down their backs. She had furry, catlike ears, instead of human ones. She wore a low-cut white dress with a fluffy skirt. The other was identical, but wore a black dress instead.

"Chi!" Fai said, hugging them both. They immediately snuggled up to him, almost like cats rubbing up against a person they liked.

"Which one is Chi?" Sakura asked.

"They both are," Fai said with a smile.

"We both are!" the Chi echoed.

Kurogane glowered. "Artifices," he said, disgusted.

"Well, yes," Fai said. "If by artifices, you mean artificial, magically-created beings. But they aren't the kind you usually see, the ones made for combat. They have those sorts of skills, it's true, but they were created as housekeepers."

"So _that _was the favor," Kurogane muttered.

Another woman emerged from the house, this one wearing a light blue garment that Sakura recognized only from a picture in one of the books Fai had been selling in his shop. It was called a kimono, he had said. He had said that women wore them in the East. But the woman seemed like a native of Marielle, with her brown hair and blue eyes. Her hairstyle was unusual, though- she had pulled it up into two buns, one on each side of her head. A few loose strands of hair framed her face. A pink shawl was draped over her shoulders, and she held a blue silk fan.

"Hello, Eiri," Fai said.

"Hello," she replied. "Shall we talk?"

The Chi led the way into the house, which was had a interior befitting the beauty of its exterior. Mirrors and scrolls hung on the walls of the main corridor, which were painted a dusty magenta. The carpet was purple, and so plush that Sakura had trouble finding her footing in it. They came to a parlor, with blush-pink walls and a set of mahogany couches, upholstered in ruby red. There were scrolls and mirrors in this room, too. Sakura stared at it all, trying to drink in the vibrant colors. She wished she remembered some of her past, but the new memories she now had were precious, too- and, in this case, breathtakingly beautiful.

Eiri sat down on one of the couches, hands folded on her lap. The Chi positioned themselves behind her, almost like a pair of bodyguards. Following suit, Sakura sat on the other couch, with Fai and Kurogane standing behind her.

"So this is the girl whose quest has been causing such a stir," Eiri said.

"Eh?" Sakura asked.

"You are traveling with one of Princess Tomoyo's personal knights, and a certain mysterious shop owner," Eiri said. "Of course rumors would start."

"I need to ask you something," Sakura said.

"Can you pay?" Eiri asked.

Sakura, startled by her directness, looked to Fai for help.

"I'm calling in my favor on her behalf," Fai explained.

"On her behalf?" Eiri asked. "That's a new one for you."

"Helping her is part of the terms of my agreement with Yuuko-san," Fai said.

Eiri nodded. "Crossing the witch is not a path many survive. You were wise to comply."

She turned to Sakura. "Go ahead and ask whatever you'd like."

Sakura gathered all her courage. Eiri made her feel a little shy. "I'm looking for a boy named Syaoran," she said, her voice only wavering a little. "He's my age, with short hair that's darker than mine. His eyes are brown, too."

"Syaoran, hmm?" Eiri said. "Not many people in this country with that name. But can't you tell me anything else about him?"

"He's a strong fighter, for a kid," Kurogane offered.

"Yuuko-san said he was in trouble," Sakura said. "She said someone had captured him. I need to help him!"

She noticed, to her surprise, that her hands were clenched into fists at her sides.

"Don't worry," Eiri said, smiling. "Anyone that Kurogane-sama says is strong can take care of himself."

"If you know so much, how come you don't know that I don't like to be called '-sama'?" Kurogane muttered.

"Do you know anything?" Sakura asked anxiously.

"Hmm…" Eiri said, thinking for a moment. "Chi, get those papers from my desk."

The Chi disappeared for what could not have been more than a second, and then reappeared, both holding papers.

Kurogane's mouth dropped open. "How the…" he gasped. "They're _fast_."

Fai just smiled. Sakura clapped, and the Chi bowed in response.

They handed Eiri the papers, and she paged through them.

"Ah, here it is," she said, pausing to look over a page. "A number of people saw a boy like that in Farae Village a few days ago, traveling with a girl who looked…a lot like you, actually…" Eiri paused, somewhat confused.

"That makes sense," Fai said. "Go on."

"They were asking a lot of questions about the wizards who live there," Eiri said. "It seems like they were looking for someone. But something happened. One of my contacts is a wizard, and he said he sensed some sort of disturbance in that part of town. After that, no one saw the boy again. A few people saw the girl, but it seemed like something was wrong with her, and when they tried to talk to her, it was like she couldn't hear them."

"So a wizard has him?" Sakura asked.

"I thought as much," Fai said. "It's probably the same person who sealed your memories."

"Looks like we're going to Farae. Great," Kurogane grumbled.

"It's getting late," Eiri said. "You are welcome to stay the night here."

"How much?" Fai asked.

"It's free," Eiri said. "It seems Yuuko feels that your quest is important enough to involve herself in. I'd like to avoid crossing her, if I can."

Sakura stood up. "Thank you for your help," she said, bowing.

"You're welcome," Eiri said. "I hope that your journey goes well."

The Chi guided them to three rooms on the second floor. As soon as Sakura got inside of hers, she collapsed on the bed, barely noticing how intricately carved and large it was. In fact, she barely managed to get off her shoes before she fell asleep.

* * *

NinthFeather: Here's the new chapter (or chapitre, as the case may be). Please R&R!

Fai: Why does it seem like you don't like Yuuko, Eiri-chan?

Eiri: Well, she's more powerful than I am, so I don't want her to get angry at me. Also, she sort of rubs me the wrong way…

Fai: How so?

Eiri: Well, I don't like how she charges for everything.

Sakura: But don't you….

Kurogane: Don't bother. She's completely oblivious.

Eiri: I also don't like those assistants of hers, Maru and Moro. They're creepy.

Chi 1: Not like us.

Chi 2: Not like us at all.

Kurogane: You're kidding, right?

NinthFeather: The sad thing is, I don't think she is.


	6. Chapitre 6: Trap

_Here's the new chapter! Hope you like it. By the way, thank you very much for the reviews! By the way, here are the songs that are currently stuck in my head: "White Destiny", the opening for Pretear, and "I Caught Myself" by Paramore and "Leave the Rest Behind" by Linkin Park from the __Twilight__ soundtrack. That was really random. So, on with the story!_

Chapitre 6: Trap

When Sakura woke up, it took her a few moments to remember where she was. Then she remembered the meeting with Eiri and falling asleep in her dress. Surprisingly, it wasn't all wrinkled.

She left her room and went downstairs, and was greeted with the sight of Fai, carrying a paper bag and heading for the door.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Manju buns," Fai said. "They're from the East. We're having them for breakfast in the car."

"We're leaving already?" Sakura asked.

"Farae is out in the country. It's going to be a long trip. Kuro-rinta is already in the car."

The two of them walked out the door and got into the car, where Kurogane was indeed waiting, albeit impatiently.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"Sorry," Sakura said.

Eiri and the Chi waved to them from the doorway.

"I hope you have a safe journey," Eiri called.

"Thank you," Sakura said, waving. And she wasn't just thanking Eiri. So many people had already helped her on her journey. Fai, Kurogane, Yuuko, Tomoyo…they were all such kind people. She was beginning to feel like everything would be all right after all.

* * *

Syaoran's captor set down the cup he had been holding in his hand.

"This cannot be allowed to continue," he said. "Even without her luck the girl still draws people to herself."

"Even without that, or what you sealed, she is formidable," his companion, the black-haired girl, said.

A new voice broke into the conversation. "Not to worry," it said. "She will be passing through my town soon. She will not find things so easy there."

"True," the man said. "I will lend you some of my power to make sure that events follow the course I have chosen."

"I will not fail you," the voice said.

"No, you will not," the man replied. "You know the consequences of failure."

* * *

Fai's car made good time, and by midday, the travelers had left the city entirely.

"Geez, isn't there anything but corn out here?" Kurogane asked.

"Kuro-pon, you're such a city boy," Fai teased.

"SHUT UP!" Kurogane yelled.

"Hey, where are we?" Sakura asked. While Kurogane and Fai were arguing, they had entered a town, or at least a collection of buildings. The buildings seemed deserted, though, and they were little more than half-fallen stacks of wood covered in chipped paint and dust. There were no cars, or horses, or anything else that could possibly be used for transportation. The whole place felt empty. A half-rotted sign named the town "Lotus".

"I don't know, but it doesn't seem like there's anyone here," Fai said.

Sakura saw something move out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned around to get a better look, it was gone.

Then, she saw it again, a flash of orange among the grey dust.

"Did you see that?" she asked.

"See what?" Fai asked.

"I didn't see anything," Kurogane said.

Then, there was a girl, of about ten or eleven, standing in the middle of the street. She was covered in dust, but her dress was such a bright shade of orange that it was still noticeable. It was layered over a white, high-collared shirt, and a pair of matching pants, both of which had clearly seen better days. Ratty cloth slippers served as her shoes. Her hair was black, and the front of it was cut into short bangs, except for two long strands on either side of her face. The rest was in a high ponytail. Her eyes were brown, and her expression could only be called intense.

"Come with me," she said, offering no further information.

Without hesitating, Sakura got out of the car and followed her.

"Sakura-chan?" Fai asked.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" Kurogane asked.

"Shhh!" the girl cautioned.

"Come on," Sakura said. She gave Kurogane and Fai a look that said "That was not a suggestion".

The girl grabbed Sakura's hand and began leading her between the broken old buildings. Sakura knew that Fai and Kurogane were confused. They had a right to be. They hadn't noticed what she had noticed- that what had sounded to them like a bratty demand was actually a cry for help. She didn't know how she knew it, she just knew it. The girl needed help.

Finally, inside of a particularly dusty shack, the girl came to a halt. She sat down on the half-rotten floorboards, and Sakura did the same. Fai and Kurogane stayed standing.

"We can talk here without being heard," the girl said.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked her.

The girl grabbed Sakura's hands, the same way Tomoyo had only days ago. But this was not a greeting, it was a plea.

"My name is Chu'nyan," the girl said. "Please help me save my village."

* * *

NinthFeather: FYI, in case you didn't catch this, Chu'nyan's outfit in this chapter is the same as the one she wears in TRC, only more worn out.

Kurogane: What the !#$ was Sakura thinking! Running off with some stranger…

Fai: Kuro-pippi was worried! How cute.

Kurogane: I wasn't worried. I just want to know who put her in charge of where we're going.

Fai: Yuuko did.

Kurogane: I know, but—

NinthFeather: She's the main character. She can do whatever she wants. Get over it, Kurgs.

Kurogane: KURGS!

NinthFeather: Um…I have somewhere I need to be….*runs for life*


	7. Chapitre 7: Fan

_Author's Note: Here's the new chapter! Please enjoy. In case you've forgotten, none of these characters belong to me. They're all CLAMP's. Except that person Fai nearly ran over in Chapter 5, who is my intellectual property. For all that's worth._

Chapitre 7: Fan

Silence followed Chu'nyan's plea.

After a few minutes, Kurogane spoke. "And what's that got to do with us?"

Chu'nyan glowered at him. "What do you think? I want you to save Lotus!"

"And why should we?" Kurogane asked.

"Because-"

A loud crash startled them all. One of the walls of the shack had completely collapsed, nearly on top of them.

"Chu'nyan!" a voice yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"

Chu'nyan cursed. "We have get out of here. Now!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you aren't making much sense…" Fai said.

A large man stomped into the shack. He had black hair, which was up in a number of small topknots. His most noticeable feature was his gigantic, broad nose. The floorboards shook.

"How dare you defy my father?" he asked.

"Your father was no one until two years ago," Chu'nyan countered. "And you're still no one. Idiot!"

"You'll pay for that!" the man yelled. He pulled out a large fan.

Chu'nyan paled. "We have to get out of here! Now! That's my mother's fan!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kurogane asked.

The man opened the fan, and waved it, sending a wave of dust toward the group. Six knights in full armor emerged from the dust.

"My mother was a magician!" Chu'nyan said.

One of the warriors rushed at Fai, who effortlessly jumped out of the way. Kurogane unsheathed his sword and ran at the other two.

Sakura felt useless. She had no fighting abilities, or, really, any abilities at all. She looked over at Chu'nyan, who was seething.

"Stay back," Sakura said. "Kurogane and Fai will protect us."

Sakura was actually shocked by how adept they were at that particular task. Fai's fighting style reminded her of a dance. He leapt and dodged so smoothly she couldn't help but think his movements were rehearsed. It occurred to her that she knew very little about Fai. One thing was sure, though. He must have fought before.

Kurogane's sword had become an extension of his arm. Even against the preternaturally fast warriors the fan had conjured, he didn't seem to be having any difficulty.

The man brought down the fan again, and more warriors appeared. One ran toward Chu'nyan, sword drawn.

Sakura, panicking, did the only thing she could think of, throwing herself between the warrior and Chu'nyan. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the impact of the sword.

Metal clashed against metal. Sakura's eyes flew open. Kurogane was there, on one knee, his sword parrying the warrior's. He turned toward Sakura, and their eyes met. He looked furious, and Sakura wondered why.

"Get the girl out of here," he said through clenched teeth.

Sakura nodded quickly and took Chu'nyan's hand. The girls ran out of the shack through a hole in the back wall.

"Hurry," Sakura urged. They ran until they couldn't hear the sounds of the battle anymore. Sakura slumped to the ground against the wall of a nearby building.

"Are you all right?" Chu'nyan asked.

Sakura struggled to find words. How could she explain it? She was scared that someone would come after them. She was relieved that they had gotten away safely. She was ashamed that she had panicked when the warrior had attacked them. She was worried about Fai and Kurogane.

"I'm just a little tired," she finally said.

Kurogane parried another of the warrior's swords. He was beginning to feel the effects of the battle. His muscles were burning, and his sword felt heavier than it had five minutes ago.

Kurogane watched as Fai dodged one warrior by a hair's breadth, then jumped into the air and kicked another in the head. A third and forth swung swords at him, but Fai somersaulted out of the way, and the two ended up slicing into one another. He landed in a crouch and kicked the legs out from another warrior without a single pause. All of this took him less than a minute.

Kurogane himself parried one warrior's sword, then knocked another's out of his hand. He slashed at a third, then blocked a fourth who had been attempting to sneak up on him.

"These things are artifices, right?" Kurogane asked, jabbing the handle of his sword into a warrior. The warrior doubled over, and Kurogane sliced through him. He disappeared in a puff of dust.

"That's right," Fai said, narrowly dodging a spear. "The fan creates them."

"So if we destroy that fan…"

"Kuro-rin, I don't know if that's-"

Kurogane ignored him, and charged the large man. The man threw the fan up as a shield, just as Kurogane had expected. Kurogane put all of his energy into swinging the sword.

The top part of the fan fell, cleanly separated from the bottom part. Immediately, all of the warriors were replaced by small puffs of dust.

The man's face turned red with rage. "My father will make you pay!" he yelled as he ran way.

"Well, Kuro-pon, that really was something," Fai said.

Kurogane studied the lanky, blond man before him. The guy was built like a scarecrow. But he was an unbelievable fighter. Kurogane would never admit it, but he wasn't sure if even he would be able to win against someone like Fai.

At first, he had thought Fai's acrobatics were all show. After watching him for a while, though, he had realized that Fai's way was also the most efficient way for him to take on multiple opponents without a weapon. In order to do what he did, he had to be calculating eight different moves at once. Either that, or he had instincts beyond those of anyone Kurogane had ever seen. There was definitely more to the magician than he let on.

Sakura was still slumped against the house wall. Chu'nyan was looking at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked again.

"I'm fine," Sakura said. She wasn't so sure, though. The seal on her back, which she hadn't felt at all since she passed out in Fai's shop, was throbbing. Her chest hurt, and she felt dizzy. She was beginning to worry. The seal had taken away her memories, but it wasn't actually going to hurt her- was it?

NinthFeather: Yeah, I know, cliffhanger. For anyone who hasn't figured it out yet, the man with Chu'nyan's mother's fan is the Ryanban's son from Koryo Country. Anyway, I would like you all to meet my friend KuroNekoShoujo, who is here because she dragged me into the character interactions in her Saint Beast fanfic. *whispers* In other words, this is revenge.

KuroNekoShoujo: I heard that. Now, where's Kuro-puu?

Kurogane: Why does everyone call me these names?

Fai: Because it's fun!

Kurogane: Shut up!

KuroNekoShoujo: *suddenly draws extremely sharp katana, charges Kurogane* You're going down!

Kurogane: Wait, what!

KuroNekoShoujo: NinthFeather promised me a fight with you! *swings at him* Now draw!

Kurogane: As if you could take me! *draws sword and runs at her*

*They fight for a while. KuroNekoShoujo manages to give Kurogane a buzz cut. Fortunately, this is a fanfic, so his hair grows right back*

Kurogane: That's it! *raises sword* Hama-Ryuu-Ou-Jin!

KuroNekoShoujo: *raises sword* Borderline Insane Fangirl Attack!

*The two attacks clash in midair. After a few seconds, KuroNekoShoujo's attack overwhelms Kurogane's and he is thrown backward.*

Kurogane: !$

KuroNekoShoujo: Hmph. That's what you get for taking on a yakuza.

NinthFeather: _Borderline_ Insane Fangirl Attack?

KuroNekoShoujo: And you aren't?

NinthFeather: I never said that. So did you have fun beating on Kuro-rinta?

KuroNekoShoujo: Of course. Don't you think you should be shamelessly begging for reviews about now?

NinthFeather: Probably, yeah. Okay, not to be loud or anything, but I NEED REVIEWS. Otherwise it feels like KuroNekoShoujo is the only reading my fic.

KuroNekoShoujo: And what's wrong with that?

NintheFeather: You're my best friend. You'd tell me you liked it even if it was a technical manual on the operation of toaster ovens.

KuroNekoShoujo: Okay, probably… but still!

NinthFeather: Oh, by the way, KuroNekoShoujo has some pretty good stories herself. I am not a shounen-ai person myself, but if you are into that, she's got a Gravitation oneshot, a Yami no Matsuei/Gakuen Heaven crossover, and two Saint Beast fanfics. I make an unwilling guest appearance in the second, as I mentioned earlier.

KuroNekoShoujo: So your homework is to review her fic and read mine.

NinthFeather: Stop ordering the readers around.

KuroNekoShoujo: *sticks out tongue* Stop being a funsucker.

NinthFeather: Believe it or not, this is how most of our conversations go. I'll try and finish the next chapter soon.

Fai: Bye!


	8. Chapitre 8: Decision

_Author's Note: Here's the new chapter! None of these people belong to me. I wish Fai did, though. But he is not mine. They are all CLAMP's. *runs off and begins crying*_

_By the way, does anyone want to know why I'm happy? Come on, anyone? I'll tell you anyway. I saw the commercial for The Last Airbender__ for the first time last night! Okay, I am a gigantic Avatar__: The Last Airbender__ nerd, so I was really psyched. YAY! Can't wait to see Zuko. If he isn't really good-looking then I am suing Nickelodeon._

_Now, back to the story. _

Chapitre 8: Decision

When Fai and Kurogane came out of the shack where they had fought the warriors, Chu'nyan was there, waiting for them.

"I think something is wrong with the girl," she said. "She keeps saying she's fine, but she looks sick or something."

"The seal," Fai breathed. This was not good.

"What?" Kurogane asked.

"Chu'nyan-chan, take us to where Sakura is," Fai said. The smile he usually assumed was gone. Maintaining it was a waste of effort.

Chu'nyan sprinted through the alleys, with Fai and Kurogane close behind.

"The seal on her memories?" Kurogane asked Fai. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"I told you earlier," Fai said. "If it remains on her for too long, it could kill her."

"Is that what you think is happening, then?" Kurogane asked, his customary scowl deepening.

"I don't think so," Fai said. "But I'd like to be sure." He threw Kurogane another of his fake smiles.

Kurogane glared at him.

Fai didn't care that Kurogane was annoyed by his smiles, or his name calling. He was glad, in fact. Sakura wasn't the only one that could get hurt because of him. Pushing people away was the easiest way for Fai to keep them safe.

They came to the place where Sakura was. Chu'nyan was right. She did not look well. She was very pale, and her eyes were unfocused. She looked like she was in pain.

"Fai-san?" Sakura asked.

Fai knelt down and raised one of his hands in front of her face. He could feel his hair floating around his face as he used the small amount of magic needed to sense a person's energy. He had promised himself that he would not use magic, but he needed to keep Sakura alive if he wished to keep Ashura sealed. A small part of him said that he had other reasons to care for the girl, but he ignored it. He could not become close to anyone. No matter what.

Fai closed his eyes. He sensed Sakura's energy immediately. Even weak as it was, it was still surprisingly warm. After a few minutes, he breathed a sigh of relief. Sakura was still stronger than the seal.

"She'll be fine," Fai said aloud, for Kurogane's benefit.

"Like I care," Kurogane said, looking away.

Fai extended a hand to Sakura. "Can you stand?" he asked.

Sakura took it and struggled to her feet. "Yes," she said, her voice weak. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine," Kurogane said, still looking away. "Be more careful."

"Thank you for worrying," Sakura said.

"Who said I was worried?" Kurogane said. Fai could tell he was blushing.

"So you were able to defeat the lord's son?" Chu'nyan asked.

"Yes," Fai said. He pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket. "But we had to destroy the fan. I'm sorry. I saved a piece."

Chu'nyan took the scrap of cloth and clutched it to her chest.

"So that guy was the son of the local lord?" Kurogane asked.

"Yeah," Chu'nyan said, a shadow passing over her face. "He's horrible. Both he and his father are."

"Then, he will probably come after us again," Fai observed. "And he certainly won't allow us to leave town without a fight."

"No, he won't," Chu'nyan agreed. "But you can stay at my house for now. I'll take you there."

Chu'nyan once again led the way through the maze of houses.

Sakura looked up at Fai. "Was that the seal?"

"Yes," Fai said.

"Is it going to…" Sakura began. She didn't finish. Fai could understand why. One's own mortality was not an enjoyable subject.

"You'll be fine," Fai said, smiling at her. And she would, for the time being. Fai felt somewhat gratified at being able to lie to Sakura about this. He did not enjoy lying. However, he did entirely too much of it for his own benefit. He was happy that he could protect someone else with it, for once.

* * *

Chu'nyan's "house" turned out to be a basement below another broken-down shack.

"It's not very nice," she apologized, "but living aboveground isn't such a good idea right now."

"Why not?" Sakura asked. The pain from the seal had dulled, and she felt more awake. Mostly, though, she felt bad for Chu'nyan. The girl's life seemed harder than she deserved.

Chu'nyan looked away. "Sometimes, the lord sends out his stupid son with that fan to attack the villagers and see what happens. A lot of the town's men have gotten killed that way. So almost no one lives aboveground anymore."

"So that's why this place seemed so deserted," Fai said.

"That's awful!" Sakura said. "How long-"

"Less than a year," Chu'nyan said. "The lord was just a wandering magician, but about a year ago he became really powerful and killed the old lord. He's really cruel, and he won't let anyone leave town, because he's afraid of being reported to Queen Amaterasu."

"This seems like a dangerous place," Fai observed. "Perhaps we should get out of here before one of us actually gets hurt."

"No," Sakura said. "We're staying."

Fai and Kurogane stared at her.

* * *

NinthFeather: There's Chapitre 8! FYI, the lord is the Ryanban from Koryo, but with an Anglicized title, since this country, Marielle, is a Victorian-era steampunk-type place, where people would not speak Korean, which is the language the title "Ryanban" is from. Okay, that was the pseudo translation notes for this chapter, now on to the fun stuff. I have invited KuroNekoShoujo back to my fanfic so we can settle an old argument- who has dibs on Fai?

KuroNekoShoujo: It's not an argument. He's mine.

NinthFeather: No, he's mine.

KuroNekoShoujo: No, he's mine.

NinthFeather: He's mine.

KuroNekoShoujo: No, he isn't.

NinthFeather: You get the idea. Anyway, considering how long we've spent arguing about this, we figured it was time to decide it once and for all. So, we're letting Fai choose.

Fai: *walks up to them* Hello. You wanted to see me?

NinthFeather: Um…you see…we were wondering if…you know…

Fai: *looks confused* What?

KuroNekoShoujo: *gathers all of her courage* Would you like to go out with one of us?

Fai: I'm sorry, but Kuro-pippi and I have to go defeat the lord right now. Maybe some other time. *walks away*

NinthFeather: We just got rejected in favor of a feudal lord with gigantic earlobes and a cowardly streak the size of Korea.

KuroNekoShoujo: Let's go kill him.

NinthFeather: But that'll mess up the plot.

KuroNekoShoujo: Who cares?

NinthFeather: That's it! Out of my fanfic! Go back to the shounen-ai fanfic character interaction from whence you came!

KuroNekoShoujo: But that's no fun! I like messing with you.

NinthFeather: *sigh*


	9. Chapitre 9: Determination

_A/N: Gomen ne X 1,000,000,000 for how long it took me to update. Please don't hate me too much!_

Chapitre 9: Determination

"What?" Kurogane demanded.

"Sakura-chan-" Fai began.

"We're staying," Sakura repeated. Her voice was firm, and her jade eyes glinted with determination. "We have to help Chu'nyan and her town. And if Syaoran's any kind of decent person, he'll understand. If he's the kind of person I think he is, he would want to help, too."

Chu'nyan, having no idea who Syaoran was, was utterly confused.

"I suppose we don't have a choice," Kurogane grumbled. "But no more heroics."

Sakura gave him a quizzical look.

"We can't keep you alive if you keep throwing yourself into danger," Kurogane said. "So do us all a favor and be a little careful."

Sakura suddenly understood Kurogane's earlier anger. He had been worried about her. She smiled warmly at him. He might have had an odd way of showing it, but Kurogane was really a kind person, deep down.

"Thank you," Sakura said to him.

Kurogane turned away quickly, but Sakura saw him blush.

"As for me, I promised to accompany you on your journey," Fai said. "If you want to help this town, I will help you."

"Now, I think we should go and have a look at that lord's mansion," Fai said, turning to Kurogane.

"Whatever," Kurogane grumbled.

Chu'nyan hurried over to a large chest of drawers and pulled a map out of the top drawer. "Here's a map," she said.

"We'll be going, then," Fai said as he and Kurogane stepped out of the door.

"Goodbye," Sakura replied.

Chu'nyan turned to her. "I don't think you ever introduced yourselves," she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sakura said. "My name is Sakura. My companions are Fai and Kurogane."

"Kurogane's the one with the sword, right?" Chun'nyan asked.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"He seems like a Kurogane," Chu'nyan said. "Who's Syaoran?"

"He's a person that we're looking for," Sakura said. "He's somewhere in Farae Village."

"Is he someone you know?" Chu'nyan asked.

"Yes…I mean, I think he is," Sakura said slowly. "I don't really remember, though. All I really know about myself is my name."

"I didn't mean to bring up anything you didn't want to talk about," Chu'nyan said.

"There's a seal on my memories," Sakura explained. "We're looking for Syaoran because we think he knew me before I forgot everything. He might be able to tell me something about myself."

"Shouldn't you be searching for him instead of helping me, then?" Chu'nyan asked.

Sakura smiled at her. "But it seemed like you really needed our help," she said. "The lord's done a lot of really bad things, right?"

"Yeah," Chun'nyan said. "After he came here and started doing bad things and raising taxes, my mom tried to stop him. But even though he used to be a third-rate magician, he was too strong, and…" Chu'nyan trailed off and began sniffling.

Sakura hugged her. She was glad she'd decided not to leave.

"I think the castle is this way," Fai said.

"Do you even know how to read that thing?" Kurogane asked.

"Of course I do, Kuro-pui," Fai said brightly.

Kurogane grumbled under his breath. He would've thought that a castle would have stood out in a dump like the town of Lotus, but the castle was proving pretty hard to find.

"Now we go this way," Fai said, pointing down a side street.

"Who put him in charge of the map?" Kurogane muttered. This place was getting to him. Everything was empty and quiet. From what that little brat Chu'nyan had said, the people had good reasons for staying out of sight, but it made the place feel like a graveyard or something. It gave him the creeps.

In front of him, Fai stopped walking.

"What do you think you're-" Kurogane started.

"There's something here," Fai interrupted.

"**Right," **an echoing voice said.

Startled, Kurogane looked around, but he and Fai were the only ones there. He and Fai and…a gigantic castle?

"That was not there before," Kurogane said, staring.

It was huge, easily as big as Princess Tomoyo's home in the capital. The entire thing was painted a repulsive shade of grayish green. Turrets and gables stuck out of every surface, with the occasional slitlike window providing the only break in the sea of green that was the building. Even Kurogane could tell that it was hideous.

"Come out of there so I can knock you into next week," Kurogane growled.

"**You dare oppose the lord of Lotus Town?" the voice boomed. "Your journey ends here!"**

Suddenly, Kurogane and Fai were surrounded by at least twenty warriors. Purple seals marked their foreheads. The seals were in the shape of some sort of foreign symbol that reminded Kurogane of the writing used in his former homeland of Kyaku. Each man was dressed in rags, but armed with a bo staff so clean that it had to be brand new.

"**These are the men of this village," **the lord continued, still nowhere in sight. Kurogane's best guess was that he was using magic to make them hear his voice. **"I can control them using the seals on their foreheads. They will kill you now."**

The men stepped towards Fai and Kurogane, and their simultaneous footfalls echoed in the otherwise empty street.

"Can't you use some spell or something to get rid of those marks?" Kurogane asked.

"I'm afraid not," Fai said. "You see, I made a promise to myself not to use magic."

"Not even in a situation like this!" Kurogane asked. He never would've admitted it, but besides the fact that he loathed magic for his own reasons, he also found it a heck of a lot harder to beat magical opponents. He could've taken this many men down with one swing under normal circumstances, but magically mind-controlled villagers…he wasn't as sure.

Fai shrugged, with that annoying fake smile of his plastered onto his face.

That stupid wizard was no help at all! Kurogane gritted his teeth and unsheathed his sword. He was going to have to take care of this himself.

Suddenly, Fai was beside him.

"You shouldn't hurt the villagers," Fai said. "It isn't their fault they're being controlled."

"But-"

"Do you want to explain what happened to them to Sakura-chan?"

Kurogane grimaced. How did he get into these situations? He should have just killed that dang witch Yuuko the first time he saw her.

"What the heck are we supposed to do, then?" Kurogane asked. "Just let them beat us to a pulp?"

"Have you got a better idea?" Fai asked.

Kurogane had never hated Fai more than he did at that moment.

NinthFeather: So sorry about not updating!

Kurogane: And this is what you waited that long to post? It isn't even that good!

NinthFeather: It's no better or worse than any other chapter. You just don't like the ending.

Kurogane: You got that right.

NinthFeather: Live with it. You're fun to mess with.

Kurogane: *draws katana*

NinthFeather: I'm going to end this before anyone else gets stabbed…-_-;;…I think TRC's had enough of that recently. How many times have people gotten stabbed so far, anyhow? I think we're at least over five by now…Geez… Well, please read & review!

Fai: Bye!

Kurogane: Come back here, wizard!


	10. Chapitre 10: Explosion

_Author's Note: Here's another chapitre! The Lotus story arc is almost over, and soon we'll get moving with the story. Please bear with me!_

Chapitre 10: Explosion

Chu'nyan cursed. "I hate sitting around and waiting!" she grumbled. "What's taking those two so long?"

Sakura shrugged.

A few more minutes passed. Then, abruptly, Chu'nyan got up and opened the chest of drawers again. She took out a plate-sized round mirror and headed for the door.

"You coming?" she asked. "I'm tired of waiting."

Sakura nodded and followed her.

Kurogane cursed as another bo staff narrowly missed knocking him in the head.

Fai, meanwhile, seemed almost air-light, jumping out of the way of blow after blow. "How's it going, Kurgs?" he asked cheerfully.

"How do you think?" Kurogane growled.

"Fine, I'm su-" Fai began, but was cut off by a villager's bo staff, which hit him squarely in the stomach. His eyes widened as he was thrown against the castle wall. With a small gasp, he slid to the ground.

"Hey?" Kurogane asked, picking him up by the arm and ignoring the three or four villagers pounding their staffs against his back.

Fai dusted himself off. "I'm fine," he said. "But we seem to be in a bit of a tight spot."

Kurogane looked around. The mind-controlled villagers formed a semicircular human wall around them. Their backs were to the castle wall.

Kurogane cursed again.

"Now, now, Kuro-pii," Fai chided.

* * *

"What's that mirror for?" Sakura asked as she ran through Lotus, close behind Chu'nyan.

"It breaks mind-control seals," Chu'nyan said. "My mom gave it to me a long time ago. I didn't want to come completely unarmed."

"Can you do magic?" Sakura asked.

"Only a little, but I'm still learning. What about you?" Chu'nyan asked.

"I…I don't know," Sakura said.

"Oh, your memories, right," Chu'nyan said. "Sorry."

Come to think of it, Sakura wondered if she did have any magical power. After all, why else would someone use a spell on her instead of a normal weapon?

Her wondering was cut short when they reached the castle. She and Chu'nyan ducked behind a broken-down shack and looked around.

Fai and Kurogane were both right in front of the door of the palace, breathing hard. They were surrounded by villagers with seals on their foreheads. Both of them were covered in dust and scratches, and breathing hard.

Chu'nyan held the mirror so it would catch the sunlight, then thrust it towards the villagers. "Wake up!" she shouted

The seals disappeared, and the villagers began looking around in confusion, apparently wondering how they had gotten there.

"**What- Chu'nyan! Brat! It was a mistake to allow you to outlive your mother!" **An unfamiliar, loud voice boomed.

The villagers scattered, the sounds of their bo staffs hitting the dust echoing in the street.

"Shut your mouth, you stupid lord," Chu'nyan shouted back. "Still can't fight your own battles, huh?"

"**Silence!" **the lord shouted in a voice loud enough to shake the ground. **"You will die for your insolence, brat! But first, I will deal with those who you dared to ask for help."**

"**You were right,"** he continued. **"It was foolish of me to use others to do what I should have done myself. The men of this town are incompetent. It's no wonder these two could withstand them."**

"What the-" Kurogane breathed.

Sakura gasped. The air above Fai and Kurogane was glowing and rippling. She could feel raw power coming off of it, like waves of heat from an oven.

"**I will crush you with my own magic!" **the lord yelled in triumph. A gigantic purple seal in the shape of a dagger in the middle of a circle took shape in the rippling air.

"Can't you use magic now?" Kurogane asked desperately.

"Nope," Fai answered.

Sakura nearly stopped breathing. Fai and Kurogane…they were going to be killed! And, it was all because she'd insisted on staying in Lotus. Fai and Kurogane had been so kind to her. They had protected her and traveled with her. Beyond a boy she couldn't remember, they were all she had. She would not let them be hurt!

Deep inside of herself, something was building. Heat spread through her body. Almost involuntarily, she leaned forward, clasped her hands in front of her chest and shut her eyes. The feeling of heat continued to build until she could barely contain it. She felt like she was being split in two. Then, suddenly, she felt all the power explode out of her.

She let out a single gasp and collapsed.

* * *

Pink light flooded Fai's vision. It engulfed everything- the castle, Kurogane, himself, even the lord's seal. Then, suddenly, the light was gone, except for a seal right below the lord's, in the shape of a shield made of wings.

The lord's shield shattered into countless sickly purple shards as the pink shield shivered with power, then dissolved.

A gasp, followed by a soft thud, broke the silence.

"Sakura-chan!" Chu'nyan cried, trying to pick up the unconscious girl.

Traces of magic drifted through the air. Fai extended an arm and tried to sense the source of the power. After a few minutes, he was sure of who had saved them. There could be no doubt of who this magic belonged to.

"What the-" Kurogane demanded. "You just said that you weren't going to use magic…"

"It wasn't my magic," Fai said shortly as they ran over to Sakura.

"Then whose-" Kurogane demanded.

"That magic was Sakura's," Fai said.

* * *

NinthFeather: _Arigatou_ for reading the new chapter! I hope you liked it!

Chu'nyan: Thank you for finally letting me _do _something this chapter. I've been stuck doing the exposition for, like, three chapters, and let me tell you, I was bored!

NinthFeather: _Gome ne. _Of course, you weren't the only one who finally got to do something. *looks at Sakura*

Sakura: Zzzzzzz….

NinthFeather: One thing I never liked about TRC, especially in the part before Acid Tokyo, was how Sakura never got to do anything. She just passed out a lot.

Fai: Isn't that what she just did?

NinthFeather: Yeah, but this time, she used really powerful magic first.

Sakura: Zzzzzzzz….

NinthFeather: And on that note, we'll see you next chapitre. Please review! Please! I am begging here…please!

Fai: See you later!


	11. Chapitre 11: Parting

_A/N: After becoming a little fed up with Code Geass fandom, I decided to come back to this story. By the way, I now have a picture of Sakura's outfit, although, since I haven't got a deviantart account, I'm not sure how I can make it so you all can see it. If you have an idea, leave a review. TRC still isn't mine. Okay, it's time for the story!_

Chapter 11: Parting

"_Sakura's_?" Kurogane demanded.

"I thought something like this would happen," Fai said. "For it to be necessary to place a seal on someone that not only suppressed their magic, but also their heart, soul and memories, that person would have to be extremely powerful. That kind of power can't truly be sealed. It was only a matter of time until the seal began to break."

"So she's a magician, too?" Kurogane asked.

"Less a magician, and more the holder of a great power," Fai explained. "I don't even think she can use it consciously. It seems like it simply takes action on its own when she needs it to."

"That was amazing," Chu'nyan breathed. "I've never seen magic like that before. Even my mother…" she lapsed into stunned silence.

"Well, Kuro-pippi, I'm beginning to wonder what we've gotten ourselves mixed up in," Fai said, picking Sakura up.

* * *

_Sakura dreamed of the sound of running feet. Amber eyes shone in the darkness, and a moonlit hand stretched toward her. _

"_Sakura!" a voice called._

* * *

The sound of the car backfiring shocked Sakura back into conciousness.

"Good. You're up," Fai said, glancing over his shoulder from the driver's seat.

"Where—Chu'nyan-?" Sakura asked, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Still in Lotus," Fai said. "We decided to leave while you were sleeping. We have a better chance of finding Syaoran if we get to Farae Village quickly."

"But I didn't get to say goodbye…" Sakura said softly.

"Chu'nyan said that you could come see her again as soon as you found Syaoran," Fai said.

"Don't worry, she's fine," Kurogane said.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, confused. "The last thing I remember is that lord trying to hurt you and Fai- are you all right?"

"We're just fine, thanks to you," Fai said cheerily.

"To me?" Sakura echoed.

"It appears that you are quite a powerful magician," Fai said. "You made that seal of the lord's explode, and then passed out."

"_I_ did that?" Sakura asked.

"Geez, what are you, a broken record?" Kurogane asked, rolling his eyes.

"Now, Kuro-rin, be nice," Fai said.

"Shut up."

Sakura giggled in spite of herself. Still, most of her mind was caught up in what Fai had said. She could use magic? She wondered what kinds, and how much. Could she heal people? Could she grant wishes like Yuuko, or break the spells of others, like Chu'nyan?

All of these questions spilled out of her, more quickly than Fai could answer. He explained that her power was the kind that the person who had it couldn't really control.

"If you really need it, you'll be able to use it," he told her.

So she had magic. She wondered if she'd known about it when she had her memories, and if she'd ever used it before. She was excited that she'd learned about herself, but at the same time, all it seemed to do was give her more questions.

It also didn't answer the question she most wanted to know the answer to: Who were the people who were important to her? She knew that Syaoran was one of them, but were there others? Who were they? Did she have a family, or friends? What were they like?

There was also her secret fear, the one she hadn't told to Fai or Kurogane. She was afraid that maybe she wasn't important to anyone. Maybe that was why Fai had found her wandering alone. She didn't remember, so how could she be sure that there were people looking for her, and waiting for her. Maybe she was alone. Even the thought of that being true made her feel like crying.

Of course, there was the voice in her dream. It had sounded so desperate, as though she was important to whoever it belonged to. She really hoped it had been Syaoran, because hearing it had made her feel warm all over. She was sure that traveling with the owner of that voice would be wonderful.

* * *

Syaoran's captor scowled. "You have failed me," he intoned.

The lord of Lotus Town bowed on the floor, trembling. "It will not happen again."

"It will not," the man barked. He extended his hand. A luminescent red seal with a bat-like symbol at its center appeared above the frightened noble.

"No!" the lord pleaded. "I'll do anything!"

"You had your chance," the man said flatly.

The seal glowed brightly, its light enveloping the lord. He screamed as his corpulent frame elongated and became thinner. Metal encased his hands, turning them into gauntlets with four retractable, wicked-looking blades extending from them like fingers. A helmet formed over his face, complete with a visor that covered his eyes. His clothes melted together into a black robe with a high neck that came up past his mouth. The robe's shoulders were topped with decorative metal points, emblazoned with the bat symbols of the seal. Black pants and shoes formed beneath the robe.

The being that had been the lord raised its gauntlet in a salute, then stepped back into the shadows of the room, joining a horde of identical beings. No sign that this being had been the lord, or indeed had ever been the lord, remained.

The man turned to a tall figure who had been standing beside his chair.

"You understand, then," he said. "This is what will happen if you fail."

"I am not that incompetent noble," the other said.

"Very well. Understand this: you must succeed. The girl must be brought back to the path I have laid out for her. If she continues to diverge from it, all of our efforts will have been for naught. I will lend you my power, but, ultimately, it is you on whom all of this depends."

"I understand."

* * *

NinthFeather: Thank you for reading. BTW, the lord of Lotus Town was transformed into one of those robot-soldier things like the ones that appeared in Clow when Sakura's memories were scattered, in case the description didn't help.

*Chi 1 and Chi 2 from Eiri's shop run past, carrying a picnic basket. They are followed by Maru and Moro from Yuuko's shop in _xxxholic_, who are carrying a picnic blanket and a few large bottles of soda*

NinthFeather: Um, what are you doing?

Maru: We're having a picnic!

Moro: A picnic!

NinthFeather: Why?

Chi 1: To welcome the new guy!

Chi 2: The new guy!

*The robot soldier version of the lord of Lotus Town shows up, wearing a sunhat with daisies on it, which looks a little odd with the black and red outfit*

NinthFeather: Him?

Maru & Moro: Yep!

*Robot soldier tries to open one of the bottles of soda, but ends up slicing it with the claw-things. Soda sprays everyone, and they all start laughing, except the robot soldier, which is still expressionless.*

NinthFeather: …Have fun with that. Okay, while the characters without souls have a picnic, take some time to review the chapter. I just enabled anonymous reviews, so I'm hoping you'll take the time to tell me if you liked the chapter. Until next time!


	12. Chapitre 12: Path

_A/N: I had a sudden desire to write fanfiction and ended up with two chapters this time, so I'll be posting them together. TRC is still CLAMP's. I would still like them to give it to me. In other words, nothing's changed. Enjoy!_

Chapter 12: Path

Sakura woke up the next morning feeling a little stiff from sleeping in the car. But it couldn't be helped, since they had been unable to find any inns before night fell and Fai started yawning. Kurogane had made him pull over that second, because, as he put it, "You're a bad enough driver when you aren't half-asleep."

Suddenly, she realized that the car was already moving. She quickly fastened her seatbelt and leaned toward the front seat.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Kurogane said from the passenger seat. "We haven't even been driving an hour."

Sakura looked around. Trees lined the sides of the dirt road ahead of them, their branches intertwining above the path and painting dappled shadows over it. Empty meadows stretched out beyond the trees, their coats of green grass only occasionally interrupted by the odd windmill or cottage.

"It's so…empty out here," she remarked.

Kurogane leaned back in his seat. "Not empty, just less crowded. The industrialization that ruined the rest of this country hasn't reached out here yet. This is how people used to live before cities like Marielle were built."

"'Ruined', Kuro-pippi?" Fai asked. "Don't you like all the new technologies we have now?"

"They're a pain," Kurogane said flatly, looking away. "Technology is like magic. It destroys everything it touches."

Sakura saw Fai's eyes widen. He suddenly let go of the steering wheel, and the car swerved towards one of the trees. Sakura shrieked in surprise and fear.

"What the heck, wizard?" Kurogane demanded, grabbing the steering wheel and steering the car back onto the road.

Fai blinked. "Whoops," he said, taking hold of the wheel again, "I was so surprised by Kuro-rin's rudeness that I forgot to steer."

He directed a brilliant smile at the knight, who scowled in return, seemingly unimpressed.

Sakura took a long look at her two traveling companions: the smiling wizard and the scowling knight. Once again, she'd seen the parts of themselves that they tried to hide. It was clear that Kurogane's surliness and Fai's exaggerated friendliness were nothing more than their ways of keeping people away, and of hiding their true feelings. It hurt to see the two people she felt closest to torturing themselves that way. It had to be hard for both of them. She was sure they both had sorrows she knew nothing of, sorrows that they tried to hide. But hiding those sorrows would only hurt them in the end. She wanted badly to tell them that, but she was afraid that even telling them that could hurt them.

Fai and Kurogane were two exceptionally strong people- that, she knew for sure. And yet, they were held back by the sorrows of their memories. She wondered if her memories would be painful. Perhaps they would be difficult for her as well. And yet, she still wanted them back. Maybe her memories would be painful, but she wanted to believe that at least some of them would be beautiful. She wanted to believe that she had memories she would want to remember.

* * *

"What's that?" Sakura asked, pointing past Fai at a building a few miles ahead on the side of the road. It was a little past noon, and this was the first place they'd seen that looked even vaguely inhabited.

"It looks like a shop," Fai said. "Would you like to go in and look around?"

"Yes!" Sakura said.

"Shouldn't we be focusing on finding the kid?" Kurogane asked.

"Yes, but if we don't stop for a break soon, my legs will cramp up completely, and I won't be able to drive at all," Fai said, smiling. "Besides, didn't the witch say that there isn't any coincidence in the world? Maybe it's hitzuen that brought us to this shop."

"Yeah, right," Kurogane muttered.

Sakura ran up to shop in excitement. The building was old-looking and coated in peeling paint, but a colorful, bright sign above the porch, reading "Caldina's" broke with the shop's generally run-down appearance. The shop's doors were a cheery shade of green, however faded, and, when Sakura pulled them open, she could not help gasping at the contents of the store.

Kurogane and Fai entered behind her.

"I must say, I'm surprised," Fai admitted.

"This is my kind of store!" Kurogane exclaimed.

Sakura looked around in wonder. The walls and shelves inside were covered in weapons. Most were swords, both traditional swords from this country like in the books of legends at Fai's store, and eastern-style swords like the one Kurogane carried. There were other weapons, too. Sakura recognized some of them from Fai's books, but others were completely unfamiliar.

A small handgun sitting on a nearby shelf caught her eye. It appeared to be made of bronze, and the image of a small flower was etched into its barrel, along with some eastern writing she couldn't read. Cautiously, she touched it. It was cool to the touch, and felt familiar. Unbidden, an image of a moonlit winter night appeared in her mind. She closed her eyes, and saw snow clouds gathered around a full moon. She could almost feel the warmth of the moonlight on her cheeks, and the winter wind fingering her hair.

"Ya gonna buy that?" a voice asked, tearing Sakura from her reverie.

Sakura turned around, startled, to see a beautiful woman standing behind her. The woman wore a dress shirt much like Fai's and a pair of brown cropped pants. Her shoes were tan, as was the pageboy cap that was perched on her curly, grey-white hair. Her green eyes sparkled mischievously, and her skin was coffee-colored.

"I'm Caldina," the woman said. "Nice ta meetcha!"

* * *

NinthFeather: Yep, I just put them in a weapon shop. For those of you who didn't read Magic Knight Rayearth, Caldina's original series, she was actually one of the villians. I confused her with Presea, the weaponsmith, and gave her a weapons store in this fic. (Thanks for the correction, _Jillie chan_) Now, I could change it, but I like Caldina as the owner of the weapons store, so I'll leave things as they are. I'm not entirely sure how she ended up as an Outo Country bartender, but I thought I should have her involved with weapons somehow in this fic, since she apparently got demoted in TRC.

Kurogane: *surrounded by shoujo sparkles* Look at all the swords…

Fai: Kuro-pippi's in love!

Kurogane: Shut up, wizard!

Fai: But it's so romantic!

Kurogane: I'm gonna cut you!

Fai: You'll have to catch me first!

Kurogane: *swings sword at Fai* I'm gonna kill you!

Tomoyo: *randomly appears* You can't. I sealed your ability to kill.

Kurogane: GRRRRR!

NinthFeather: Thank you for reading. I would really appreciate it if you reviewed, too! Bye!


	13. Chapitre 13: Defense

_A/N: Okay, next chapter. For the record, Caldina-san has an Osaka accent, so I am writing her dialogue with an accent like the one Kana had in Sakura Wars/Sakura Taisen in the English translations, since she has an Osaka accent too. I think Kana's accent is supposed to be Brooklyn, but it's hard to tell. Bottom line, Caldina is just supposed to have an accent. You can think of it as Brooklyn, Chicago, Southern, heck, if you want you can think of her as having a Spanish accent. Her Osaka accent is also why Caldina uses the honoriffic "-han", which is how "-san" is pronounced with that accent. Further translation notes will be provided at the end of the chapter. TRC still belongs to CLAMP. Hope you like the chapter!_

Chapter 13: Defense

"I'm Caldina," the woman said. "Nice ta meetcha!"

"Hello, I'm Sakura," Sakura said. "These are Fai-san and Kurogane-san, who I'm traveling with."

"Well then, Sakura-han, wouldja like ta buy that gun?" Caldina asked.

"Um…" Sakura stammered, at a loss to explain her fascination with the gun, "I mean…I just thought it was pretty…I don't know what I'd do with a gun….I mean, those can hurt people, right?"

Caldina laughed. "You're a cute one, aintcha?" She said, smiling at Sakura. "Yeah, guns can hurt people. This one's diff'rent, though. It fires seals 'stead of bullets, so it only captures the person, and doesn't hurt 'em."

"I didn't know weapons like that existed," Fai said.

"They didn't 'till a few weeks ago," Caldina said. "This guy from outside the country started makin' 'em and sold me a few. Said he was tryin' to keep people from bein' hurt by guns. He was the High Priest of somewhere-or-other. Went by Yukito."

Yukito, Sakura thought. The name was so familiar. In her mind, she saw pale hair and glasses, edged in moonlight. The snowy, moonlit night she had seen while touching the gun flashed through her mind as well. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She cradled her head in one hand, grabbing the shelf behind her for balance with the other. Her sudden movement knocked the gun onto the floor and sent it spinning in Kurogane's direction.

"Sakura, are you all right?" Fai asked, running over to her.

She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm fine," she said shakily. She took another breath and continued. "I think… I think I remembered something."

"Really?" Fai asked. "What?"

Sakura searched her mind, but it was as infuriatingly blank as ever. The images that had filled her mind only moments ago had turned hazy and indistinct. She tried to take hold of them, but they were as elusive and intangible as mist. "I lost it, I think," she said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will come back to you," Fai said encouragingly.

Sakura wasn't so sure, but before she could say anything, Kurogane spoke up.

"Is this the one you were looking at?" he asked, picking up the gun from the floor.

Sakura nodded.

"It has your name on it," Kurogane said.

"Huh?" Sakura asked. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kurogane said, pointing out the eastern writing on the gun's barrel. "This is the writing Kyaku, the country I was born in, used. Those characters spell your name in our language. In Kyaku, "Sakura" is the name of a flower."

"Then that picture…" Sakura began.

"…is of a sakura flower," Kurogane finished.

"Wow," Caldina said. "Seems like that gun's s'posed ta be yours."

"But I don't have any money!" Sakura exclaimed. "And what would I do with-"

Kurogane placed the gun in her hands and closed her fingers around it. "You'd protect yourself, and the people important to you," he interrupted. "That witch said this trip would be dangerous, right? You might need this."

"Actually, it might not be a bad idea to buy weapons for ourselves as well," Fai put in. "I keep feeling like we're being watched, and all those things Yuuko-san said back in Marielle are starting to worry me."

"Fine," Kurogane said. "I'll buy the gun. But if you want something, buy it yourself."

"Kuro-puu is so stingy!" Fai exclaimed.

"Thank you," Sakura said.

Kurogane grunted.

Fai wandered the store for a few moments. At length, he pulled a staff out of a display. "I'll take this, please," he said.

"'Kay," Caldina said, naming a price. Fai gave her the money, and she put it into the cash register.

Kurogane approached her with the gun next.

"That's gonna come with this box of ammo, and, if ya want, you can buy somethin' else with it for half-off," Caldina told him.

"I already have a sword," Kurogane said flatly.

"Yeah," Caldina said, "but that's a special kind of sword ain't it? I can tell- it's for fightin' certain things. But you ain't likely to find many of those around here, an' it's no good to use a sword 'gainst things it ain't made to fight."

"You have a better idea?"

"This here's Souhi," Caldina said, pulling an eastern-style long sword out of a cabinet behind her. "'Less I miss my guess, it'll handle 'bout the same as that one you got there, 'cept that it'll work 'gainst about any enemy. Strong enough ta use your special techniques with, too."

"How'd you know about that?" Kurogane asked.

"A tall, grumpy man comes in here wearin' a sword with a dragon on its hilt, right after the knight Kurogane leaves Marielle on some sort of mission? D'ya think I'm stupid or what? The entire kingdom knows about your special techniques. 'Bout half of it had ta be rebuilt 'cause of them!"

Kurogane muttered something under his breath.

"And jus' for that, I'm raisin' the price," Caldina said, naming a figure.

"That much?" Kurogane demanded.

"Ya want 'em or not?" Caldina asked.

Kurogane sighed and paid her.

"Now, it's time ta give the girl some shootin' lessons!" Caldina announced.

Sakura stared at her. "Ehhhh!"

* * *

NinthFeather: Hope you liked the chapter! I am happy because Sakura now has a weapon! Yay! I can now have her actually do things other than just fainting during battles! Just for your info, all of those weird visions of snow and moons that Sakura had were her sensing Yukito's magic in the gun. Now, for your convenience, we will provide translation notes for some of Caldina's dialogue.

_Ain't: isn't_

_Aintcha: Aren't you_

_'Bout: About_

_'Cept: Except_

_'Cause: Because_

_D'ya: Do you_

_'Gainst: Against_

_'Less: Unless_

_S'posed: Supposed_

_Ta: To_

_Wouldja: Would you_

_Ya: You_

Caldina: C'mon, I ain't really that hard ta understan'! I don't see why ev'ryone says I have an accent. It's you all who got accents. D'ya even realize how hard it is ta understand ya? It's like you're speakin' in other languages!

NinthFeather: Hopefully, no one besides Caldina-san is insulted that I put up those translation notes. I just figured that some of you, especially those of you who don't speak English as their first language, might get confused by some of the phonetic spelling and dropped sounds. I didn't want anyone to have trouble with understanding the chapter because of it. Thank you for reading, and please review. I will put up another chapter soon, but no earlier than Wednesday. Bye!


	14. Chapitre 14: Training

_A/N: Here's the new chapter! Enjoy!_

Chapter 14: Training

Caldina took the three travelers behind the shop to a practice area. It was a small, green field, dotted with practice dummies and targets.

Caldina showed Sakura how to load the gun. "For practice, we'll use normal bullets, 'cause I've only got so many of the special ones."

She pointed at one of the targets and told Sakura to try to hit it. "Just aim the gun and pull the trigger."

Sakura took a deep breath, aimed, and fired, then gasped as the force of the gun firing knocked her off of her feet. The bullet buried itself in a tree about three feet shy of the target.

"Guess I shoulda mentioned that," Caldina said as Sakura picked herself up.

Kurogane, who had been pretending utter disinterest up to that point, came over. He stood behind Sakura and wrapped her hands around the gun.

"Try again," he said. "Think of yourself as a tree…as if you're rooted to the ground."

Sakura fired again, this time with Kurogane behind her. The bullet clipped the edge of the target. The force of the gun firing made Sakura lose her balance and fall back on Kurogane.

"Again," Kurogane said. This time, Sakura kept her balance, but missed the target completely.

"Picture what you want to hit in your mind," Kurogane said. "Focus on it when you're aiming."

Sakura closed her eyes, and pictured the target. Still keeping that image in her mind, she opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and fired. Her shot left a clean hole in the target, only inches from the center.

"Keep trying until you hit the center," Kurogane said, still standing behind her.

Sakura took a deep breath, focused on the target, and fired again.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A few hours later, Sakura stood in the same place, her feet spread apart for balance. Her arms were parallel to the ground, and her grip on the gun was firm. Her emerald eyes were narrowed in concentration. She took a deep breath, picturing the target in her mind, and squeezed the trigger.

The bullet made a high whining sound as it sped through the air, finally stopping when it buried itself in the very center of the target.

Fai clapped. "Wheet-whoo!" he said.

"Good job, Sakura," Kurogane said with a slight nod.

Sakura lowered the gun and beamed at him. "Thank you so much for teaching me, Kurogane-sensei!" she said with a bow.

Kurogane blushed. "Hold on, now…I just showed you how to fire a gun…I mean, it's no big deal…"'

"Wheet-whoo!" Fai said. "Kuro-rin's a teacher now! Should I call you Kuro-rin-sensei?"

"Just call me Kurogane, for once," Kurogane growled. "And what's with saying 'wheet-whoo' instead of whistling?"

Fai smiled. "I can't whistle."

Meanwhile, Caldina walked up to Sakura. "I'm impressed," she said. "I've never seen anyone learn to shoot that fast."

"Thank you," Sakura said, blushing.

"This is for you," Caldina said, handing her a belt with a gun holster on it. It was a deep, chocolate color that blended into Sakura's skirt.

Sakura put it on and slid the gun into the holster.

Caldina indicated a small pouch on the other side of the belt. "That's for the bullets. I already put a few in there; the rest are in that car of yours."

Sakura bowed. "Thank you very much, Caldina-san," she said.

Caldina returned the bow. "You're sure welcome!" she said. "I hope y'all are safe on your trip!"

Sakura smiled, and followed Fai and Kurogane back to the car.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

Far away, in another country, a young man with silver hair stood on a balcony, his eyes closed. He wore a white suit and a white bowler hat, with a gold bowtie. His hands, covered by white kid gloves, rested on a silver-tipped cane. Silver-framed glasses perched on his nose.

"Any news?" Another young man asked, joining him on the balcony.

Where the first young man was pale, this one was tanned. His hair was unruly and ink-black, and his eyes were the color of charcoal. His suit jacket and pants were black, but his vest and tie were lapis lazuli blue. There was a tightness about his expression that suggested worry.

The other's golden eyes flew open. "She's found the gun I made for her," he said. "But something's wrong."

"Wrong?" the dark-haired boy demanded, worry plain on his face. "Is she hurt?"

"No…it isn't that," the silver-haired one said. "She seems to be fine physically. But I can barely sense her magic. I fear our enemy has made his move."

"I'm going to find her!" the dark-haired one said.

"You know you can't do that," his companion reminded him. "Your responsibilities here-"

"Are worth nothing compared to her!" the dark-haired one interrupted.

"If you leave now, everything she's done, and all the risks she's taken will be worth nothing!" the silver-haired one argued.

The dark-haired one sighed. "You're right, of course," he said. "What would I do without you, Yukito?"

"I honestly don't know, Touya," Yukito said.

::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: Thank you for your patience with my unpredictable-at-best updates. I will try to do better in the future.

Yukito: playing with bowler hat I really do like this outfit better than the High Priest robes.

Touya: That's just because you kept tripping over the robes.

Yukito: But this way I have fewer bruises!

Touya: Sometimes I wonder if it's an act or if it's actually possible to be that ditzy.

NinthFeather: For Yukito-san, it's possible.

Touya: I think you're right.

NinthFeather: While Yukito-san's busy being a ditz, I'd like to thank you all for your reviews and ask everyone to review this chapter if they have time. I'll update no earlier than next Wednesday. Bye!


	15. Chapitre 15: Spirit

_A/N: Sorry for the wait! I got sick last week and didn't even feel like sitting up to type. Thank you for your patience. This chapter will have a bit of action, so enjoy!_

Chapter 15: Spirit

The town was like something out of a painting, a collection of pretty, well-kept cottages lining cobbled streets. Sakura wondered absently if her hometown was anything like this one. She hoped so. It seemed like a nice place.

After driving all afternoon and through the night, the travelers had sighted this town. It looked like a perfect place to buy some food, and maybe find an inn to stay at. At this point, all three of them were tired of sleeping in the car.

Still, they hadn't forgotten the trouble they'd had in the last town they'd visited, so they'd brought their weapons with them. Fai's staff came off looking like a magical item, anyway, so it wouldn't arouse suspicion, and, as a knight of Marielle, Kurogane was allowed to wear his sword at all times. As for Sakura, the gun holster blended into her dress, allowing her to carry the gun without suspicion.

Sakura laughed to herself as they walked into town. She felt a little silly, coming into such a small village armed. After all, what could possibly happen…

She stepped forward and was plunged into darkness.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fai saw Sakura freeze a few steps in front of him. He ran up to her, extending his arm to put a hand on her shoulder…

Suddenly, she was gone, disappeared as thoroughly as if she had never been there. His hand was touching only air.

He looked around frantically. "Sakura-chan!" he called. "Sakura-chan, where are you?"

He heard a rustling of fabric from behind one of the cottages.

"Sakura-chan, is that you?" Fai called.

A man stepped out from behind the building. He wore a powder-blue jacket and pants over a cream-colored vest and a white shirt. A white cravat was at his neck. The chain of a pocket-watch emerged from one pocket, golden and gleaming. His jet-black hair was perfectly smooth and straight, and fell a little past shoulder length. He smiled gently at Fai.

His golden eyes shone. "How are you doing, Fai?" he asked.

Fai's eyes widened, and he felt himself begin to tremble. He was barely able to gasp out the name of the person before him.

"Y-your Majesty Ashura?"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Geez, what is with them?" Kurogane muttered as his two companions stood, statue-still, in the middle of the street.

He moved toward Fai. If he punched the idiot wizard now, he could just say he was trying to snap him out of it. This would be fun.

Then, the other two were gone. Kurogane scanned the path, but there was no sign of either of them.

"What the-" he began.

Then, he heard footsteps coming from his left. He turned around quickly, drawing his sword in the same motion.

A figure emerged from behind a cottage.

It was a man in a black robe. The hood shaded his features, making it impossible to see his face. But there was no need to. The sword in his hand, with its bat-shaped hilt, was identification enough.

"You're the one that killed her, huh?" Kurogane asked, his expression becoming a twisted smile.

He raised his sword.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Blue light congealed around Ashura's hand, and became an icy dagger.

He looked straight into Fai's eyes. "You know my wish," he said.

Fai's voice trembled. "N-no. I won't!" He stepped backwards.

Ashura's smile became twisted. He raised the dagger. "Then I suppose I have no choice."

He charged at Fai.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurogane swung his sword again and again, but the cloaked figure was fast, evading his moves practically before he even made them.

"Gin-Ryu-Jin-En-Bu!" Kurogane yelled, swinging his sword. "Earth Dragon Circular Attack Dance!"

The force of his swing split the ground, sending cobblestones flying in all directions. But the cloaked figured had dodged, just in time.

Kurogane cursed.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sakura blinked again and again, but the darkness that surrounded her didn't dissipate. If anything, it became more complete.

She couldn't see anything, hear anything, or even feel the ground beneath her feet. The darkness extended in every direction. She clutched the gun in her hands, although it was of precious little use in this situation. Shooting at the darkness wouldn't make it go away.

She didn't know what happened. Had she been kidnapped, or spirited away somehow? She didn't know. But she had a funny feeling about the darkness around her. It reminded her of the feeling that gigantic seal in Lotus Town had given her. Was this…magic?

It had to be. She had stepped into a perfectly normal town and now she was trapped in some sort of void.

And if it was magic…Yuuko's mirror! Sure enough, it was still in her pocket. She pulled it out and began rubbing at it with her sleeve.

"Yuuko-san?" she said hesitantly. "Yuuko-san, I need help!"

The mirror exploded with light. A projection of the witch emerged from it's surface.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan," the witch said pleasantly.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A lone figure stood atop the roof of the town's courthouse, the tallest building in the town. His eyes were closed in concentration, while the sunlight caught his glasses, causing the lenses to shine like twin moons. The corners of his mouth were turned upward in amusement. The wind roared in his ears, blowing through his hair, and his long trenchcoat, which flapped and billowed in the wind like a flag.

His eyes flew open, and he looked down on the three travelers.

"Welcome to the town of Spirit," Kyle Rondart said.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: And it's Kyle-sensei! I know he's pretty much evil incarnate, but he's also a bishounen, and I'm really glad I get to use him in this story. It's almost as good as having Seishiro-san, although I'm not actually going to include him, because I'd rather not end up having to increase the rating of this thing for violence.

Kyle: How come I don't get to pretend to be a good guy this time?

NinthFeather: Because everyone reading this fic probably read the Spirit arc in the manga, or saw it in the anime, and thus already know you're a feather-stealing jerk who works for Fei-Wang.

Kyle: But I like pretending to be good. It's so much fun to see everyone's sad looks when I betray them.

Seishiro: *pats on back* Good for you. If you keep at it, someday, you'll be a full-blown psychopath like me.

Kyle: *….*

NinthFeather: Um…go for it, Kyle? Seriously, my updates for this story are going to slow down seriously for the time being, but I will update. Thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing so far! Bye!


	16. Chapitre 16: Artifice

_A/N: New chapter! Yay!_

Chapter 16: Artifice

"Yuuko-san," Sakura gasped. "Something's happened! I don't know-"

"You want to know how to get out, is that it?" Yuuko asked.

"Yes," Sakura said, taking a deep breath. "Everything went dark, all of a sudden. I don't know where Kurogane-san and Fai-san are, either. Can you help?"

"I can help you, but I will require payment," Yuuko said. "A favor, which I will ask you for in the future. Do you agree to the price?"

"Yes," Sakura said. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was happening outside of her pitch-black prison. Something bad.

"Step backwards," Yuuko instructed. "Two steps should suffice."

Sakura did as she was instructed. Suddenly, the darkness fell away, and she was standing on the same cobblestone path she'd been on before.

"What?" Sakura asked aloud.

"The town of Spirit has been marked by a seal," Yuuko explained. "It allows the person who created the seal to control the senses of anyone within its limits. By stepping backward, you left the area of the seal, and, therefore, that person's control."

"If he was controlling my senses, why was I able to contact you?" Sakura asked.

"He's powerful, but hardly skilled enough to block my magic," Yuuko said, smiling smugly. "However, I believe you have more immediate concerns."

Sakura looked up from the projection of Yuuko and looked around. Then, she saw it.

Kurogane, sword drawn, was running at Fai.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, turning to Yuuko.

"The creator of the seal is manipulating them," Yuuko said. "He has probably changed what the two of them see when they look at each other, so that they perceive each other as enemies."

"Wait, do I have to pay for that, as well?" Sakura asked.

"Your previous price will cover it," Yuuko said. "Farewell, and good luck."

And, with that, the projection of the witch blinked out of existence.

"Okay, if there's someone manipulating them, he must be somewhere nearby," Sakura said aloud. "Now, I just need to find him."

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurogane swung his sword again and missed. He cursed.

"You destroyed everything!" he shouted aloud. "You're the reason my Kyaku was destroyed. If she had lived, it might have been different!"

He sliced at the cloaked figure again, this time catching his cheek.

"I might have been different," Kurogane said, more quietly.

:::::::::::::::::::::::

Fai fought the urge to be sick. This was his fault. Ashura was this way because of him.

His cheek stung where Ashura's ice-dagger had cut him. This was bad. He and Ashura were evenly matched, under normal circumstances. But Fai was holding back to avoid killing his opponent. Ashura, on the other hand, was putting all of his energy into the fight. If things continued in this way, he would die.

There was a time when he wouldn't have particularly cared. His life certainly wasn't inherently worth anything, not with his conscience carrying what it did. However, there was another factor. Sakura. She was alone and without any memories, and even her newly acquired weapon couldn't protect her completely. She was relying on him, as a protector and a friend. He was not about to add abandoning her to his list of sins.

He'd promised himself not to use magic again. The consequences weren't worth it. But he doubted that he could make Ashura's situation any worse at this point. He'd have to take the risk, and hope that nothing bad came of it.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sakura scanned the area. The person controlling the seal had to be somewhere. The feeling the magic gave her was getting stronger, which couldn't be good.

That feeling! She could use it to locate the person using the magic. It would be strongest around him, so all she had to do is sense where it was strongest.

She closed her eyes and focused.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurogane gritted his teeth. Right there, an opening! The cloaked figure had frozen in place. He stretched the arm not holding the sword out, as if he was preparing to use magic.

It figured the lowlife was a magician. Who else would use such cowardly tactics as he had, all those years ago?

This only strengthened his resolve. He tightened his grip on the sword.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sakura's eyes flew open. She looked toward the direction where the strongest power was coming from. Suddenly, she saw him.

He was standing atop a building. His trenchcoat flapped in the wind, and the sun glinted off of his glasses.

She pulled her gun from her holster.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fai inhaled, focusing. He visualized the seal in his mind, then exhaled, using the flow of energy through his body to push the seal into reality.

It glowed in front of his hand. It was a simple seal- all it would do was throw Ashura backwards. Actually trying to seal Ashura up was a futile task- after all, if he was here, he had even managed to break Yuuko's seal. Fai was nowhere near as powerful as her, and, besides, Ashura had taught him magic. He wouldn't be able to hold the ruler for longer than a few seconds. At least throwing him back might knock him unconscious for a few seconds.

The seal was powerful-more than any human would be able to withstand. This was Ashura, though. By the time it hit him, he would have it halfway undone. He couldn't afford to hold back, not if he wanted to live.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurogane charged forward, his sword trained on the cloaked killer's exposed abdomen. Just because he'd been forbidden to kill didn't mean he couldn't try.

:::::::::::::::::::::::

Fai closed his eyes, and sent the seal flying at Ashura. His vow not to use magic was broken.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sakura took a deep breath, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: Okay, it's getting a little dicey about now…

Kurogane: But there's finally some actual fighting!

NinthFeather: Is that all you think about.

Kurogane: No.

NinthFeather: What else do you think about?

Kurogane: *…*

NinthFeather: *sighs* Shounen characters.

Kurogane: I'll cut you!

NinthFeather: You need to find more constructive ways to deal with your problems. Thanks for reading, everyone! Thanks for the reviews, too, I really appreciate them. Heaven willing and we don't have a blackout (we did for a few seconds last night) I'll have another chapter for you soon. Bye!


	17. Chapitre 17: Aim

_A/N: Here's the new chapter. Tsubasa still belongs to CLAMP. Enjoy!_

Chapitre 17: Aim

Sakura watched as her bullet found its target, and the seal's creator was caught in an explosion of silver light.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ashura's image flickered, just as the seal sunk into his chest and sent him flying backwards. Fai felt a sharp, cold pain in his abdomen. Then, suddenly, it was Kurogane flying backwards, a bloody sword in his hands and a shocked expression on his face.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurogane felt the resistance of the cloaked figure's skin as the sword slid into him. Then, everything went blurry. Something smacked into his chest. And suddenly, he was soaring backwards, so quickly he couldn't breathe, and Fai was standing where the cloaked figure had been, red slowly soaking through the white of his suit.

:::::::::::::::::::::::

The seal had been deactivated when Sakura's seal had hit its controller, but, even if it hadn't been, Sakura would still have run into the town.

It had only taken her a few moments to find the controller, aim, and shoot, but that had been a few seconds too long.

Fai was standing, statue-still, in the middle of the path, as his suit slowly turned red. Kurogane was nowhere to be seen.

Sakura ran to him. "Fai-san!" she cried.

Fai's eyes were wide with shock. His hand trembled at his side. "No…" he gasped, falling to his knees.

Sakura dropped to her knees beside him. "Where's Kurogane-san?" she asked.

Fai squeezed his eyes shut. "I think…I think I killed him."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kurogane pushed a large wooden beam off of his chest. By his best estimate, he'd flown a good ten feet before smashing into a cottage, causing it to collapse on him. He could barely breathe, which he took to mean that he'd broken a few ribs. The rest of him didn't feel all that great, either.

He tried to get up. It was a bad idea; standing hurt. But he had to find the others, and figure out if he'd done what he thought he'd done.

That had to be his imagination. It had to be. There was no way he'd stabbed the wizard. He wasn't stupid enough to mistake his allies for his enemies, unless….

"Dang it…" he muttered. It had to be magic, there was no other explanation. Somehow he'd been tricked into using his traveling companion for a sheath.

He rubbed his temples and swore. He really hoped he hadn't actually killed the idiot.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Fai-san?" Sakura asked, trying to hold the wounded magician up.

"I used magic," Fai said weakly. "I thought he was someone else…another magician, who would be able to deflect most of the spell. There was enough magic in that one seal to kill any normal human. There's no way he survived."

Fai was, not for the first time, cursing the day of his birth. He never should have used magic. He knew what had happened the other times, and yet he had still broken his promise. Now the death of one of Tomoyo's knights was added to his burden. He never should have gotten close to Sakura. It was a miracle that she wasn't the one who ended up dead.

"I'm not that easy to kill," Kurogane grumbled, emerging from behind a nearby cottage.

"Kurogane-san!" Sakura exclaimed in relief. "Are you all right?"

"That idiot just broke a house with me," Kurogane snapped. "What do you think?"

"You should probably be a bit more careful, as well," Fai said evenly, a slight smile appearing on his face. "You might have killed me."

"I didn't know it was you," Kurogane said. His look turned dark. "I thought it was someone else, who would've deserved anything I did to them."

"Neither of you meant to hurt each other," Sakura broke in. "Someone had a seal on the town. They were controlling what both of you saw."

A look of alarm passed over Fai's face.

"What is it, Fai-san?" Sakura asked. "Are you all right?"

He gave her a rueful grin. "This isn't enough to kill me. I can't say it feels good, though."

"I'll go back to the car and get the first aid kit," Sakura said. "It's in the glove compartment, right?"

Fai nodded, and Sakura ran off.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fai felt Kurogane's eyes on him. "What is it, Kuro-pon?"

Kurogane was clearly not in the mood to be teased. "None of your games, wizard," he said flatly. "That look on your face earlier wasn't pain. You were worried. What did you figure out?"

"You're entirely too perceptive," Fai said quietly.

Kurogane grabbed him by the collar. "Spit it out," he said flatly.

"The sort of seal Sakura described requires its creator to picture the illusions they wish those within it to see," Fai said. "The person I saw…was someone whose connection to me is not known to very many people. I trust it was the same for you?"

Kurogane released him and looked away. "Yes," he said shortly.

"That implies that whoever was doing this has intimate knowledge of the two of us, specifically," Fai continued. "We were being targeted. It's clear that Sakura was able to intervene somehow, but if she had not…."

"We'd have killed each other," Kurogane finished. "So, what? Do you think someone wants us dead?"

"No, they wanted us out of the way. We're the ones standing between Sakura and the rest of the world. Judging by today's events, I'd guess that someone would rather we weren't acting in that capacity."

"So they're after her?"

"You saw Sakura's power in Lotus Town," Fai said. "She has enormous magical potential. If someone figured out how to harness it, she could easily become the magical equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction."

"Her?" Kurogane asked incredulously.

Fai's look became grim. "I have seen a whole country destroyed by one with far less power. You mentioned the land of Kyaku when we were with Caldina. That land, too, was destroyed by magical forces far weaker than the power Sakura holds. She must not be allowed to fall into the hands of one who would misuse her abilities."

Kurogane's expression darkened. "Back in the capital, when the witch was talking about chess, is this what she meant?"

Fai nodded. "I believe we are the pieces she spoke of. As for the players, I am sure she herself is one. When we discover who her opponent is, I believe we will also find the one who sent the person who attacked us today. What the goal of the game is remains a mystery to me. But I'm willing to bet that Sakura's power is connected to it somehow."

Kurogane rubbed his temples. "This couldn't just be a simple quest, could it?"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: No, Kuro-puu, it couldn't. From this point on, things should start to get a little more deliciously confusing in the way that only TRC can be. But, in the meantime, I've brought in a special fight analyst to analyze the match between Fai and Kurogane that just occurred.

Mokona: Hi, everybody!

Kurogane: Oh, no. *face-palm*

Mokona: In this fight, Kurogane and Fai were pretty evenly matched. But Mokona noticed something, because Mokona is so smart. Mokona noticed that Fai wasn't using a very powerful spell. The spell he was using wasn't even meant to kill. Kuro-puu, on the other hand, was trying to kill the person he thought Fai was, so he should have done more damage, even though he couldn't actually kill with his curse. But they both did about the same amount of damage. In other words, if Fai wasn't holding back, Kuro-wan would have lost big-time!

Kurogane: WHAT!

Mokona: It's true!

Kurogane: Why did you let that pork bun into the fic if it's just gonna lie?

NinthFeather: Because I'm pretty sure he's right. If Fai and Kurogane had ever seriously fought in canon with no curses, no tattoos, no paying Ginryuu as a price for traveling worlds, no promises not to use magic, no missing body parts, and no vampirism, Fai probably would have won. In the anime, Fai wins a fight against Kurogane by tricking him, but before that, they're pretty evenly matched. However, Fai isn't using magic, and even in the Seresu arc of the manga, where he's only got half of his magic, his attacks are pretty impressive, and they're downright scary in the last couple of volumes. Kurogane's sword attacks are about as devastating, but Fai's defense magic is a little more effective than Kuro-rin's method of using his sheath as a guard.

Fai: So I would win!

Kurogane: Like heck you would, wizard!

Sakura: If you both don't calm down, your wounds will reopen.

NinthFeather: All right, please leave a review if you liked the chapter, or if you have a suggestion. Thank you to those of you who have reviewed thus far. I can't make any promises about the next chapter besides saying that there will be another chapter, but I'll try and write it ASAP. Bye!


	18. Chapitre 18: Continued

_A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long hiatus. Having actual things to do really interferes with one's ability to write fanfiction. Anyhow, here's the new chapter. Tsubasa still belongs to CLAMP. Enjoy!_

_Oh, as an extra note, I finally got a deviantArt account and posted art for this fic on it. The links are on my profile. This includes the picture of Sakura's outfit you all have been asking about. I hope you like them!_

Chapitre 18: Continued

_He saw the world as through red mist. His sword slashed through the creatures, painting everything in blood, but he did not regret their deaths. They were unnatural things, twisted creations born of magic gone wrong. If it were not for them, his parents would still be…_

_He could not think about it. Not about the severed hand trapped in the jaws of one of the monstrosities, still clutching his father's sword. And certainly not about his mother, though the image of her dead body refused to leave his mind._

_Killing all of the creatures would not bring them back. It could not. He knew that, but... He felt his expression contort into a crazed smile. It would not bring them back. But it would feel really, really good._

A sudden burst of pain from one of his cracked ribs woke Kurogane up.

"Nnn…" he muttered. What time was it, and how long had he been asleep? He sat up, avoiding the pain in his abdomen, and looked around at the countryside flying past.

_Wait, something's not right…Why am I moving?_ he asked himself, suddenly looking around.

He calmed down when he realized he was in the car. _Of course the idiot mage is trying to drive with a stab wound. Why wouldn't he?_

That was when he noticed Fai, in the passenger's seat and still fast asleep.

_What the…_

"What are you doing?" he asked aloud.

Sakura turned around in the driver's seat to look at him. "I'm driving," she said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Eyes on the road!" Kurogane shouted.

A look of panic appeared on Sakura's face as she rapidly turned toward the road. "…Sorry," she said.

"Don't apologize, pull over!" Kurogane shouted.

Sakura guided the car to the side of the road, then turned to face Kurogane again. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Why were you driving?" Kurogane demanded.

"We need to find Syaoran as soon as we can!" Sakura said. "But you and Fai are hurt, so I thought I'd drive instead. I've seen Fai do it; it isn't hard at all—"

"You don't have a licensce!" Kurogane shouted. "And you don't have any memories! You've probably never driven one of these things before; what if you'd crashed it and gotten us all killed?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Sakura said, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry."

Kurogane ran a hand through his hair. Why was he such a pushover when it came to girls asking him to do things? Tomoyo always pulled this too. A wide-eyed stare was all it took to get him to do nearly anything. Times like this made him feel like a pathetic excuse for a knight.

"Just get in the back," he sighed. "I'll drive."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_The snowflakes danced crazily as they fell from the heavens. In the past, when they landed on his gloves, white would melt into white and the flakes would vanish. But now the white was soaked in red and the snowflakes were not enough to wash it away._

_Red and white were the colors of his life now. He was trapped in a nightmare he couldn't escape from. They were all dead, everyone. Even as the snow provided them with the burial he couldn't give, their unseeing eyes accused him._

_There was still blood splattered across the front of his coat from the moment his father died. And no matter how much snow he melted on it, he couldn't wash it away._

_He couldn't wash it away._

Fai woke with a start, his heart beating wildly. For a few moments, he didn't remember where he was. Then he saw Sakura reflected in the rearview mirror, her emerald eyes half-closed.

"She woke up practically at dawn," Kurogane stated, his eyes not leaving the road.

Fai said nothing. Kurogane's uncanny ability to read him had the potential to become a problem.

"You okay?" Kurogane asked. It was the closest Fai was getting to an apology, and he knew it.

"Fine," Fai said. "And yourself?"

Kurogane grunted. Fai, who had by this time become accustomed to the knight's tendency toward communicating through guttural noises, took that as meaning that he was fine as well.

He swore to himself. He couldn't let himself get used to it. He couldn't get close to anyone. Hadn't he already seen what happened?

He allowed himself to slump a little more in his seat. He should have expected this. When Yuuko asked for payment, she always asked for an amount equal to services rendered. And heaven knows that the services she'd rendered had been valuable. It stood to reason that he'd have to pay heavily.

But this…this slow process of being forced to do every single thing he'd promised himself not to do…this was too much. It hurt.

_Healing always hurts_, a voice in his memory reminded him.

Fai laughed grimly to himself. _What would you know of healing? _He asked, knowing that his question could not be answered. After all, the one he was asking was dead.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Yuuko held the bullet between her fingers. Sakura had paid for her assistance with this. Many people would think a bullet was a worthless payment. Yuuko, of course, was not most people.

The store was dark. Shadows hung on the velvet curtains, and the evening light gave everything a bluish cast, from the upholstered wooden chairs in the corners to the ornately carved desk that Yuuko sat behind.

The witch was alone in the store. It was after closing time, after all. Yuuko planned to leave soon, but there was a matter to be attended to first.

She flicked her finger, releasing the seal on the bullet as well as the one trapped in it. The seal dissipated into pink light as a bespectacled man was dumped unceremoniously onto the floor.

"So we meet again, Kyle Rondart," Yuuko said cooly.

The man glared back at her, eyes blazing with hate behind spectacles that reflected the sunlight like mirrors.

The witch spoke aloud, and although the store was empty, she knew her words were heard.

"I've taken your pawn. I call check."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NinthFeather: Gome ne for the update lag. Unfortunately, school has started, and I have to write things other than fanfics now. *cries*

Kyle: Why did you make me a pawn?

NinthFeather: Because you're a lame minor villain. Next question.

Kyle: Couldn't I at least be a bishop?

NinthFeather: No, someone else is the bishop.

Kyle: Pleeease?

NinthFeather: Look, if I change what piece I'm calling you, I'm gonna have to go back and edit a bunch of stuff. Which I have neither the time nor the inclination to do. So you're a pawn. Deal with it.

Sakura: Am I a piece? Which piece am I?

NinthFeather: I can't tell you that! It would be a spoiler for the readers! Even if most of them probably figured it out back in Chapitre 3…Also, if I told you, your knowledge of it would change your actions and twist your destiny. Right, Yuuko-san?

Yuuko: You've been paying attention.

NinthFeather: *smiles*

Kurogane: &%^$, there's two of them!

Yuuko: *smiles evilly*

Kurogane: &$%. *turns pale*

NinthFeather: Stop creeping the poor guy out. I just beat him up last chapter. Anyhow, thanks for reading this. I'd really appreciate it if you left a review, just to tell me what you think of the chapter. A special thank you to all of you who have been reading this fic faithfully and were probably convinced that I had abandoned this fic. You get virtual chocolate chip cookies for your patience! I have no idea when the next chapter will appear, but I'm not going to abandon this fic, so it will come. 'Till then!


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